Heartaches
by kellyQ
Summary: FINALLY UPDATED WITH 85! Things are not what they appear to be ... Jack/Yusei and other couples! The rating may go up to M. I hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1

Heartaches

Chapter One

By Kellyq

Crow walked into the living room with a first aid kit in his hand. He handed it to Yusei, a young teen with black hair, yellow strips of hair spiked out on either side of his head. He had beautiful blue eyes that held confidence and kindness. Yusei had fair peach skin and a well shaped feminine body.

Crow, on the other hand, was one year younger than Yusei. He had red hair that bushed out like a cockatoo bird's tail. His skin was soft, and his slanted dark-green eyes held mischief. Each of his cheeks had yellow markings. His eyebrows were shaped like check marks. He wore a brown short-sleeve vest, and an orange shirt. Black straps were on each of his biceps, and he had gray fingerless gloves; the pants he wore were brown.

"Yusei," Crow finally spoke up. His friend looked up from what he was doing. "You really need to get out of your relationship you have with Kiryu. It's not healthy for you to stay with him!"

Yusei closed his eyes. "I know." he sighed and opened his eyes, with pain and confusion. "But if I try and stay, I might help him ..." _and I'm not going to let Kiryu hurt Jack! _

_**Yusei was rammed into the wall, hard. The cell-phone in his hand dropped to the floor. The intruder picked the phone up and put it to his ear. **_

_**"I'm sorry, but this number is no longer in service." the intruder snapped the cell-phone in two. **_

_**Yusei managed to get to his feet and face the attacker - Kiryu. A pale teen with light-blue hair. The look in his golden eyes was not human. The two glared at each other. Before Yusei could do anything, Kiryu took hold of his arm and twisted behind his back. Kiryu leaned in and licked Yusei's cheek. **_

_**"We don't want anything to happen to Jack, now do we?" Kiryu murmured seductively. **_

Crow watched Yusei for a moment until his cell-phone rang. The red-haired teen didn't have to look. Crow picked the phone up and put it to his ear. "Jack. Yes. He's fine. You want to talk to him?"

Yusei sighed as Crow handed the phone over to him. "Hey, Jack."

_**"What in the world were you doing at Kiryu's?"**_ Jack demanded. Yusei didn't respond._**"Fine! Don't tell me what's up! But I'm coming over." **_

* * *

Jack grabbed his white coat and gloves. He stepped out of his condo and walked into the garage. There, right in front of him was a white motorcycle, that he and Yusei made together. He put his helmet on, inserted the key and started the engine. Exhaust fumes smoked into the room as Jack revved up the engine. He stepped on the gas pedal, causing the back tire to let out a screech. The motorcycle lurched forward as the back of it swayed back and forth. Jack pressed on the gas again, and he sed out.

Jack was half way down the street when he saw flashing lights of red and blue. Jack didn't have to look over his shoulder. He knew who it was. Trudge - a motorcycle cop - who loved to give Jack and Yusei a hard time about their relationship.

"Where do you think you're going?" Trudge called out, catching up with the blonde. "You know that Godwin is not going to approve of you seeing Mr. Fudo, right?"

"Do you think I care? Now buzz off!" Jack ordered, stepping on the gas and revving up the engine.

_I'm not going to let this wise-ass chase - _a smirk made his way to Jack's soft pink lips. Jack never had a chance to test his motorcycle to its full potential. _Okay. Let's see what this thing can do! _Jack veered the motorcycle a little to the right and then to the left. Jack repeated this action to annoy Trudge. Jack made a sharp turn to drive down an ally. Trudge smirked. _I have you now. _The motorcycle cop did the same action, but he didn't count on a ten foot high gate in his way. Trudge gasped in shock. He veered his motorcycle and leaned to the side, and the bike came to a rough halt. Trudge glared through the fence as he watched Jack vanish into the night sky.

* * *

Crow opened the door after the first knock and allowed Jack in.

"Where's Yusei?" the blonde teen wanted to know.

"He's alright," Crow reassured, following Jack into the living room.

Violet eyes widened at the sight. Yusei had scrapes on his arms, his shirt was torn down the middle and his head looked a little bashed in. A growl escaped from the back of Jack's throat, getting Yusei's attention. They stared at each other for a moment.

"What happened?" Jack finally asked.

"Kiryu's been having a hard time, so I've been trying to help him," Yusei explained, not making eye contact with the blonde.

Jack narrowed his eyes for a moment before he started to rummage through the first-aid-kit. Crow walked out and came back with soapy-water and a rag.

"I'm off to bed," the red-haired teen informed. "I have to be at the orphanage by eight. A little Chinese girl is going to be adopted, and I made her a gift."

Yusei winced after he watched his best friend exit to room. By this point Jack had started to clean Yusei's left arm. The two were silent until Jack spoke up.

"Yusei, I'd rather you don't go near him. You know that he's still angry with you for not returning his feelings."

Yusei closed his eyes. He knew that Jack was right, but Yusei wanted to prove to Kiryu that he was going to still be his close friend no matter what.

To Be Continued ...


	2. Chapter 2

Heartaches

Chapter Two

By Kellyq

The clock struck passed twelve. Jack had bandaged all of Yusei's wounds and the two lovers were now laying on the couch, holding each other close.

"I should get going before Jeager comes," Jack said.

Yusei's expression half darkened as he watched his boyfriend walk to the door. "I don't think it's fair that we can't see each other that often." the dark-haired teen closed his right eye. "I do miss you when we're not together."

"I'll call you later," the blonde-teen promised.

Yusei couldn't help but chuckle of how forgetful his boyfriend would get at times. Jack turned and felt soft pink lips on his. The blonde-teen wrapped his arms around Yusei and pulled him closer to his body.

"I love you, Jack," Yusei murmured, staring into violet eyes. "And don't worry about me. You know that I can take care of myself."

Jack smirked and shook his head. "I'll talk to you later."

The blonde kissed his boyfriend before he turned and walked out. Jack closed the door and there stood Jeager and Mina - Jack's house keeper. Jeager was a short, thin man. He had real short purple hair that stuck out behind his pointy ears with ear rings on each. Jeager had slanted green-eyes, and his eyebrows were shaped like check marks. Jeager's lips were a soft red color. Jeager wore a white shirt, with black pants. The trench coat Jeager had on was red on the outside and black in the inside, with yellow lining. Mina had short dark-blue hair with hazel brown eyes, and fair skin. She wore a white blouse, blue jacket and a matching skirt.

"Are you done playing around with Mr. Fudo? Because you forgot your dinner plans with Carly ...." Jeager started to say.

Jack closed his eyes, ignoring what the shorter man had to say. He didn't forget meeting up with the black-haired woman, Yusei was his main focus.

"She was really upset," Mina informed. "So upset that Godwin even had a chat with her!"

Jeager chuckled at the memory ...

_**Jeager pulled away from Godwin when they both heard a knock at the door. Jeager slipped out of bed, grabbed his robe. He walked to the door and opened it. Mina stood there with a worried expression. **_

_**"Mina?" Godwin called out, getting the young woman's attention. **_

_**Mina bowed immediately. "I'm sorry sir! Carly's on the phone! She's really upset that Jack didn't show up at the restaurant!" **_

_**Godwin sighed as Mina handed the phone to him. Jeager couldn't help but chuckle, knowing full well where Jack was. **_

_**"Miss Nagisa," Godwin said in a soothing tone. "Now calm down my dear. You've called him and all you got was his voice-mail. I understand that you're upset. I'll talk to Jack when I find him."**_

"I'll go talk to her right now," Jack said, sounding a little irritated.

* * *

A young girl in her mid teens sat in a chair in the solitude of her own bright apartment. She went by the name of Carly. A bright energetic woman with black strait hair that went past her waist. Carly had beautiful dark-green eyes, and soft fair skin. She wore a white shirt with blue stripes. The vest she had on over the shirt was orange, and the pants went snug around her waist. Next to Carly was a pair of spiral shaped glass.

"Does Jack really hate me?" she asked herself. "I do try and make him happy, but has he once smiled? What am I doing wrong?"

"I don't hate you," came Jack's voice.

Carly jumped a little and turned her head to see the blonde standing there. "H-how did you get in?"

"You left your door unlocked." Jack walked up and sat across the table. "Sorry that I missed our outing. Something came up."

Carly smiled, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "That's okay." She got up. "Do you want something to drink?"

Jack shook his head and rose from his seat. "No thanks. I just came to apologize."

Carly lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry that I got you in trouble. I was just worried about you, that's all."

Jack shrugged it off. "I'll call you when it is a good time to have our outing."

Carly's face lit up, feeling her heart soar. "Okay! I'll see you soon!"

Jack was already out the door before she squealed with delight.

To Be Continued ...


	3. Chapter 3

Heartaches

Chapter Three

By Kellyq

Kiryu blinked a few times, standing right in front of his door was Jack.

A light smirk made its way to Kiryu's lips. "Why Jack," he responded casually. "What -"

Before Kiryu could finish, Jack shoved the blue-haired teen out of the way. Violet eyes scanned the two-hundred square foot studio for Yusei's damaged cell-phone. A chuckle came from Kiryu's lips as his golden eyes watched Jack's every move.

"Communication is hard to come by isn't it?" the blue-haired teen started to say.

Jack picked the phone up and gave Kiryu a cold look. "I'll let you go this time, but if you hurt Yusei any further, I'll personally take you down ... got that?"

Kiryu raised a brow. "And how are you going to do that? Lecture me? Hit me?".

"Don't push me," Jack hissed, taking a rough hold of Kiryu's shirt. "If I had it my way, I would've had made sure that you stayed locked up after the stunt you pulled four years ago!"

_**Yusei leaned over Jack and kissed the blonde-haired teen on the lips. Yusei gently pushed Jack on the floor. Both teen wrestled casually, fighting for dominance. They rolled a few feet away with Jack on top of Yusei. Violet eyes stared into dark blue ones. Yusei leaned up as Jack wrapped his arms around the dark-haired teen's waist. A shadow loomed over them just as the two were about to kiss. Yusei looked up to see that it was Kiryu. **_

_**The blue-haired teen had a glint in his eye as he watched Yusei and Jack pull away from each other. The blonde-haired teen got to his feet and dusted himself off. **_

_**"Yusei, can I talk to you alone?" Kiryu asked, motioning for Jack to leave. **_

_**Jack narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong with -" **_

_**"Jack," Yusei warned, getting the blonde-haired teen's attention. Yusei shook his head. "You better go before Godwin has Trudge come looking for you." **_

_**A light growl came from the back of Jack's throat. He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. Yusei adjusted his gaze from the door to bring his full attention to Kiryu. The blue-haired teen's silhouette loomed over Yusei. Kiryu slapped his friend across the face. **_

_**"How long?!" Kiryu shouted. Yusei flinched in shock. "How long have you had feelings for Jack?" **_

_**The dark-haired teen stared at Kiryu's face. There were a mixture of hate, jealousy, and **__**betrayal in his eyes. The atmosphere darkened and the air turned cold at that moment. Kiryu grabbed Yusei by his shirt and yanked him forward. The dark-haired teen could smell alcohol in Kiryu's breath.**_

_**"I want to make one thing clear - you are mine! No one else is allowed to touch you." **_

_**Yusei narrowed his eyes and pulled away from Kiryu. "We were just playing around." **_

_**The blue-haired teen grabbed Yusei's arm and twisted it behind his back. The dark-haired teen let out a cry of pain and shock as Kiryu coiled his leg around Yusei's right limb. **_

_**Yusei winced. "Kiryu, what's gotten into you? I'm sorry if I offended you, but I do love Jack!"**_

_**"That's just it!" Kiryu yelled, pushing Yusei forward. The dark-haired teen stumbled and regained his balance as he turned to face Kiryu."It's always Jack this and Jack that!" Kiryu grabbed Yusei again and pushed him down to the floor. Yusei tried to sit up but Kiryu was on top of him. "He had no right to take your heart when you were mine to start with!" **_

_**Yusei stared wide-eyed at Kiryu and realization sank in. "You love me ... don't you," the dark-haired teen murmured. **_

_**"Yes! But you never took a fuckin' hint that I did! Not one!" Kiryu barked, hitting Yusei a few times in chest.**_

_**Kiryu was about to hit Yusei again when a shadow loomed over the two. A hand reached down and pulled Kiryu away from Yusei. The blue-haired teen stumbled back and found his arms clasped behind his back. Kiryu's golden eyes widened when he realized that Trudge had put hand cuffs on him, and Jack was helping Yusei up. **_

_**"Why?!" Kiryu hollered, struggling free himself. "Why can't you accept me!" **_

_**Yusei turned his head, not wanting to see the look in Kiryu eyes. "I'm sorry, Kiryu - I don't feel that way about you," the dark-haired teen murmured.**_

_**The tension in the room raised and Kiryu's expression darkened. A twisted smirk made its way to Kiryu's pale lips. He started to laugh - an eerie laugh that ran cold. **_

_**"I thought about suicide ...but -" Kiryu paused and licked his lips as he stared at Yusei. "Maybe you should die instead." **_

"You were going to hurt him whether you loved him or not!" Jack pointed out, coming out of his painful memory.

Kiryu let out an eerie chuckle. "Really," the blue-haired teen responded casually. "You're no different from me when it comes to hurting the one you love."

Jack growled and gave Kiryu a hard shake. "Don't even go there!"

"Jack," came Yusei's stern crisp voice. Kiryu and the blonde-haired teen turned to see Yusei standing there. "Don't worry about it. It's all in the past," Yusei reassured.

Jack narrowed his eyes and walked up to Yusei. Kiryu took a step but the blonde-haired teen looked over his shoulder and growled. "Don't even think about it."

Jack took a gentle hold of his boyfriend by the arm and guided Yusei out.

To Be Continued ...


	4. Chapter 4

Heartaches

Chapter Four

By Kellyq

Mina walked to the door when she heard voices from the other side. She peeked through the hole and saw Jack talking to a male teen with black hair. Mina could see the teen's face. Yusei's eyes held a calm expression and there was a soft glint in Jack's eyes. _That must be Mr. Fudo_, she thought, opening the door for Jack.

"Welcome home, Mr. Atlus," Mina said, stepping to the side and bowing. She eyed Yuesi for a moment. _I wonder why Godwin doesn't like Mr. Fudo? He seems harmless ..._

"Mina," came Jack's southern crisp voice, snapping the young woman out of her thought. "Go make some tea."

The young housekeeper flinched and bowed. "Uh ... does Mr. Fudo want some tea too?"

Yusei blinked a few times before he realized that he was asked a question. Yusei smiled to Mina. "No, I'm fine - but thanks for the offer."

Mina bowed again and made her way to the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile, feeling optimistic that the atmosphere would change. Mina moved the tea kettle to the front burner, and turned it on. She opened the cabinet and pulled out a tea packet. Placing it on the table, Mina moved to the other cabinet and brought out a cup. The kettle whistled, signaling for Mina that the water was ready.

"_Mina!"_ came Jack's voice. _"Turn that thing off and hurry it up!" _

Mina jumped and dropped the cup onto the floor. It shattered into five pieces. Mina cried out as she turned to see Yusei move the tea kettle off the burner.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked, snapping the startled woman out of her shock.

Jack's silhouette moved across the room, and he picked up the broken pieces. Yusei observed the whole thing quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Atlus!" Mina cried. "I'll buy you a new cup right away!"

Jack grunted. "Leave it," he calmly ordered. The blonde-haired man had thrown the broken pieces into the trash. "And finish making the tea." Jack's eyes shifted from Mina to Yusei. "Go sit back down, Yusei. You're still not healed from your fight from Kiryu."

Mina blinked and that's when she finally noticed bruises and faded scars on Yusei. _Kiryu?__That name does ring a bell_ ... Mina bit her lip. She waited until Yusei was out of hearing range to ask what was really going on.

"Un ... Mr. Atlus? Who is Kiryu?" Mina inquired.

Jack gave Mina a sharp stare. The look in his eyes glazed over. "It's none of your business!" Mina cringed and fear flashed across her eyes. Jack sighed, giving himself a mental note to keep his temper at bay. "He _was_ a friend of ours," Jack started to explain, sounding bitter and frustrated.

"Oh, that's right," Mina said, finding her voice. "I do remember meeting him on your 18th birthday."

"Yeah ... that was before he got into the wrong crowd to hang out with," came Yusei's bitter voice. Jack and Mina turned their attention to Yusei, who was leaning against the wall. "He was a good person - bright and intelligent - until one night that all changed -"

"That's enough!" Jack barked, stopping Yusei from finishing the story. The tension in the room grew thicker. Jack closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to bed."

Mina was about to speak, but Yusei shook his head. After Jack was out of sight, the dark-haired teen pushed himself from the wall and followed his boyfriend to his room.

* * *

Jack turned when Yusei walked in and closed the door behind him. The tension in the air had not lifted.

Yusei's expression half darkened. "That was completely uncalled for. She was just trying to help."

"Do you think I care? The one thing I care about is you! You know very well that Kiryu is never going to get better!" Jack pointed out. "And you're just letting him trample all over you! Do you know how hard it is for me to stand by and watch without being able to help? Do you have any clue how much it pains me? None!"

"I'm sorry, Jack," Yusei murmured darkly.

The blonde-haired teen grunted. "You don't have to apologize - You just need to fight, Yusei!"

"You mean - like this?"

Before Jack knew what was happening, Yusei brushed his knuckles casually against Jack's cheek. Then Yusei brought his other fist back and gently hit his boyfriend in the gut. Jack stared at Yusei for a moment to see a lot of emotions in his eyes.

"I don't mean to hurt anybody," Yusei said, trying to keep his emotions at bay. "I -"

Before Yusei could finish, Jack pulled him close and kissed his boyfriend. "That's enough, we -"

_"Mr. Altlus," _came Mina's voice from the other side of the door. _"Your tea and the first-aid kit are just outside the door when you're ready to retrieve them." _

Yusei pulled away and turned to open the door. The first thing he saw was the first-aid kit and tea.

_"Your water is coming in just a moment, Mr. Fudo!" _came Mina's voice from the kitchen.

Yusei picked the tea and first-aid kit. He handed it to his boyfriend. The dark-haired teen walked into the kitchen just as Mina turned. The two stared at each other.

"Mina right?" Yusei inquired softly.

A light blush made its way to Mina's pale cheeks and she nodded her head. "Yusei right?"

The dark-haired teen was about answer but Jack's voice bet him to the punch.

_"Yusei, get your ass in here right now!" _

Annoyance flashed across Yusei's eyes. He smiled to Mina and took the class of water. Yusei turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving a blushing Mina behind.

To Be Continued ...


	5. Chapter 5

Heartaches

Chapter Five

By Kellyq

Kiryu lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts, and hallucinations started to run through his head. A dark eerie chuckle came from the back of his throat. Kiryu rolled to his side and got to his hands and knees. Kiryu started to move some empty bear cans, syringes, and little empty bags that used to contain white powder. Sweat started to come down his forehead as he made a pathway for himself. Kiryu's golden eyes started to scan for a black and blue box that had a carving of a dragon head that had three eyes.

"Where did I put that thing?"

Fear started to show in Kiryu's unfocused eyes. He started to throw dirty clothes in random directions. By now Kiryu's body was shaking. He grabbed a nearby dirty blanket and wrapped himself in it. Kiryu took a breath, feeling nauseous. Right then there was a knock at the door.

_"Hey, Kiryu," _came Crow's voice from the other side of the door. _"Are you in there, man?_"

The doorknob turned and the red-haired teen stepped in with a bag of groceries in his arm. Green eyes met golden ones. Crow dropped the bag and immediately rushed over to Kiryu's side. The blue-haired teen pushed Crow out of the way as he got up and staggered to the bathroom. Kiryu dropped to his hands and knees as he started to throw up blood.

Crow pulled out his cell phone and called 911. "This is an emergency! My friend is coughing up blood! The address is 204 S.W. Iven Street - apartment 409! And hurry, I don't know how much longer my friend will last!" Crow put his phone away and made his way to Kiryu. "I called the paramedics and they're on their way," the red-haired teen shared.

Kiryu swayed a little as stared at Crow with unfocused golden eyes. "Just who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Crow, remember?"

An eerie chuckle that sounded like raspy breathing came from the back of Kiryu's throat. "I don't know who the hell you are, but I wanna to tell ya something ... I died. My friend Yusei killed me. Don't you think he should die so we can be together for eternity?"

A cold chill ran down Crow's body. He immediately snapped out of it. "Come on buddy, we need to get you to the lobby."

Crow helped Kiryu stand as they made their to the door. The blue-haired teen blinked with confusion.

"Where are we going?" Kiryu asked, swaying a little.

The two teens had gotten into the elevator. "To the lobby, remember. I'm going to help you get better."

The elevator door opened and sirens could be heard. Crow tried to get Kiryu to move, but the sick teen wouldn't budge.

"No! I want Yusei! I want him!" Kiryu shouted, trying to free himself from Crow. "Yusei!"

* * *

"Yusei ..." Jack moaned out, feeling pleasure wash over his body as his boyfriend rubbed him.

A satisfied smirk made its way to Yusei's lips as he started to kiss Jack's neck, nipping and biting. Jack grunted in pleasure as he angled his head to kiss his boyfriend. Yusei moved his hand away from where he was rubbing, and he started to lick the substance off. Jack moved Yusei's hand away from his face and kissed his boyfriend. The blonde-haired teen pushed Yusei on his back and started to kiss his neck. Jack shifted his body so that he was on top of Yusei, grinding their hips, creating an amassing a friction through Yusei's body.

"Jack ... stop ... teasing me!"

A glint flashed across violet eyes. Jack ran his hand up and down Yusei's chest. "Why not? I love watching you sqiurm," the blonde-haired teen murmured seductively, licking Yusei's neck. "It makes you look even more delicious."

A shock of pain and pleasure passed through Yusei's eyes as Jack moved his finger in and out of Yusei. The dark-haired teen grunted as he shifted a little. Yusei was about to say something when Jack's cell phone beeped.

"_Yusei, Jack - this is Crow! Kiryu is in the hospital!" _

* * *

Crow sat outside Kiryu's room, with his arms wrapped around his knee's. The look in his eyes held sorrow and pain. _This is my fault, _he thought. _I should've ... _before he could finish the thought, two silhouettes loomed over him. Crow slowly lifted his gaze to see Jack and Yusei standing there. The first thing Crow did was jump to his feet and threw himself in Yusei's arms.

"This is my fault!" Crow sobbed.

Yusei held his friend tenderly. He kissed Crow on the cheek and rocked him back and forth. Jack watched for a moment until there were footsteps from behind. The atmosphere turned cold as the three turned to see a man with copper-colored skin, blue eyes and white spiky hair pulled back in a low ponytail. This man went by the name of Rudger. He wore all black and dangly golden earrings. Jack narrowed his eyes, not liking the hostile vibes he was getting.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack asked roughly.

A smirk made its way to Rudger's lips. "Ah. You must Jack Atlus," he said, eyeing the blonde-haired teen. Rudger's eyes shifted from Jack to Crow and then Yusei.

The teen pulled away from Crow and walked up. "You must be Rudger." Jack watched the older man closely, not liking the way Rudger was staring at his boyfriend. "Kiryu's legal garden," Yusei started to share. "So you must know that he's been taken drugs and broken the law more than once."

Rudger stared calmly at Yusei. "I thought you looked familar. You're Yusei Fudo. The one who destroyed Kiryu -"

"Yusei just flat out -" Before Jack could finish, his boyfriend touched his arm and shook his head.

"I have been trying to give him the help he needs," Yusei explained. "And be there for him like a friend should."

"I may have to ask you gentlemen to leave," came a voice that Yusei recognized right off the bat. "Visiting hours are over."

Yusei and Jack turned to see Akiza standing there. A resourceful young woman with charry-red-hair that was shaped like a bell flower. The ends of her hair spiked out. Akiza's long side hairs framed her face nicely. She had fair soft skin, brown-walnut shaped eyes. Her dress was black. It covered half of her breasts to her knee's. The coat that she had on was red and white, with ruffles.

A faint smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "Long time no see, Akiza."

The young woman blinked in confusion, and smiled when she recongized her ex-boyfriend - Yusei.

To Be Continued ...


	6. Chapter 6

Heartaches

Chapter Six

By Kellyq

After Akiza showed up, Crow slipped into Kiryu's room. The red-haired teen grabbed a chair and sat next to the bed. Crow stared down at Kiryu. The sick teen was hooked to several I.V.'s, and an oxygen mask strapped to his face. Crow took Kiryu's hand and rubbed it gently. He moved some damp hair away from Kiryu's face. Crow closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against Kiryu's pale cold hand.

"_C - Crow ...?_" Came Kiryu's weak voice from the bed.

Dark-green eyes snapped open and stared into unfocused golden ones. Crow's face lit up and he hugged Kiryu. He blinked a few times and realized that he was in the hospital. The door opened and Crow lifted his head to see Rudger move to the right side of the bed. He placed the backpack on the side of the bed.

"_Yusei ... was here ... wasn't he?_" Kiryu murmured in a frail voice. "_So why hasn't he come to see me_?"

Rudger fished through the bag and pulled out a needle and syringe. Crow reached for the stuff and jammed them back into the bag. He walked to the door and opened it. Crow placed the backpack outside.

He turned to face Rudger with venom in his eyes. "Get out! He doesn't need to be anymore fucked up than he already has!"

"_Why hasn't Yusei come to see me yet_?" Kiryu asked again.

Crow bit his lip and walked up. "I called a little too late for him to see you. Sorry."

"I'll arrange for Yusei to come here," Rudger informed, walking out of the room.

Crow leaped out of his chair and stood in front of the older man. "Stay away from my friend you bastard! He's done nothing to you or Kiryu!"

Rudger rose an eyebrow. He grabbed Crow's arm and twisted it behind his back. He pushed Crow toward the bed. Rudger forced Crow to stare at Kiryu.

"Really," Rudger murmured in Crow's ear. The red-haired teen shivered in disgust, giving Kiryu's legal garden a sideways glare. "So you're saying that Yusei had done nothing to Kiryu - that he is innocent."

Crow growled. He shifted his weight and slammed his heal on Rudger's foot. "Fuck you!" He turned and the older man stepped back. Crow tried to swing at Rudger again, but he missed. "If I ever see you come near Yusei or Kiryu for that matter, I'll make you regret it."

"I'm sure," Rudger responded, casually. His eyes shifted to Kiryu. "I'll be back later."

The sick teen nodded his head, feeling like he just wanted to sleep. Rudger walked out and closed the door. Crow turned and sat back down next to Kiryu.

"_I'd rather you didn't interfere. What Rudger and I do is none of your business," _Kiryu spoke up.

Hurt flash across Crow's face. "I just want to help!"

_"I'd rather you just go," _Kiryu murmured, not making eye contact.

Crow was about to say something, but he decided to leave. He got to his feet and walked out the door, closing it gently. Crow leaned against the door and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Jack and Yusei walked out of the hospital after talking to Akiza about Kiryu's condition.

_**"Long time no see, Akiza," Yusei smiled. **_

_**The young woman blinked in confusion, and smiled when she recongized her ex-boyfriend - Yusei**__**. **__**"Likewise," Akiza responded, casually. "Now follow me. I can give you information so you guys can come back."**__**The woman turned and everyone started to follow her down the hallway. **_

_**"I have Kiryu's medications and what he's taking," Rudger explained. **_

_**All Akiza did was nod her head, knowing that there was something suspicious about the man. They all walked into the office. Akiza looked at Rudger. **_

_**"I'm afraid that you'll have to leave the information here, and I'll have the doctor look it over." **_

_**Rudger put his backpack on the desk and pulled out a zip lock bag with prescriptions inside. He placed them down on the table, grabbed his bag and walked out. **_

_**Akiza let out a breath. "And I thought I can be a thorn. Anyways - Yusei?" He turned to give the young woman his full attention. "Just be careful, okay? When Kiryu arrived here, he was mumbling about wanting you dead while he was unconscious."**_

_**Jack watched Yusei's expression darkened. "Tell us something that we don't know." **_

Yusei came out of his memory when they passed an ally. Jack stopped when he heard a weak moan from the deprhs of the dark alley._ That sounds like a child! _Yusei thought. He sidestepped his boyfriend and ran into the darkness. Jack let out a loud sigh and stood there for a moment.

"Jack!? Come quickly!" came Yusei's voice, full of fear.

Jack ran toward the direction of his boyfriend's voice, and found him crouching over a child with bushy red hair, soft skin and his hazel eyes were closed. An orange Persian envoy hat laid next to the child. The blue coat looked like it was ripped off. The orange dress the child wore was ripped down the middle, and the black pants was also halfway ripped off the child's body. _It's a boy, _Yusei thought, his eyes quickly combing the boy's body.

Jack pulled out his cell phone and dailed Mina's number. He grunted when he got her voice mail. Yusei shook off his jacket and draped it over the boy and lifted him up.

"We'll have to take him to your place. When he wakes up, we'll find out who did this to him."

By now, the two had walked out of the hallway. The blonde-haired teen looked over his shoulder and watched his boyfriend cradle the small boy in his arms.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Yusei? What's so important about this kid? Do you know him or something?"

Yusei shook his head and stared down at the little boy. "No. I just don't like it when people hurt someone and take their innocence away from them."

Jack sighed. He knew better than appose Yusei when it came to making a decision. "Alright. He can stay until we find out who raped him."

Yusei smiled to his boyfriend. "Thanks, Jack." He stared down at the child. _And I'll make sure that whoever did this is going to pay! _

To Be Continued ...


	7. Chapter 7

Heartaches

Chapter Seven

By Kellyq

The two walked into the apartment and laid the boy down on the couch. Mina walked in and gasped in shock when she saw the sight of the child.

"What happened to him?" She asked, checking the boy over. "Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?"

"He's going to stay here until we find out who raped him," Yusei explained.

Mina's eyes widened in complete horror. Jack pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number and put it to his ear. After a moment, a chuckle came from the other end, and irrigation flashed Jack's eyes. He grunted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you think I care! Get Godwin on the phone right now you purple haired little freak!" Jack demanded.

Yusei picked the child up and carried him into Jack's room. Mina recoiled and followed him into the room. She closed the door and walked to the bed to see Yusei placing his hand on the boy's forehead. The child let out a sigh and leaned into Yusei's gentle touch.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Mina asked softly.

Yusei shook his head. "It's hard to say." He rose to his feet and walked into the bathroom. Yusei grabbed a towel, turned the tap on and dampened it. Yusei turned the water off and walked back to the child. He sat down and placed the rag over his forehead.

The door opened and Jack walked in, cursing loudly. "That stupid purple haired prick!" He slammed the door, and sat down at his desk.

Yusei turned to scold at his boyfriend. "Jack, not so -"

A light moan came from the boy. Hazel eyes fluttered open, and he stared into unfamiliar faces. "T - thanks for saving me. I'm Rally."

Just before Yusei could introduce himself, Jack's cell phone made a ding. He picked it up and put it to his ear.

"It's about time you picked up!" Jack got up and made his way to the door. "What were you doing -" he opened the door and closed.

"Y - you're not going to send me to the hospital, are you?" Rally asked, his voice just above a whisper.

"Don't worry about it," Yusei reassured. "Get some rest, and when you're ready - tell us who did this to you."

All Rally did was nod his head. Yusei got up and he walked out, closing the door behind him. Blue eyes narrowed as Yusei walked into the living room. He saw that Jack was still talking on the phone.

The blonde-haired teen narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?" Violet eyes met with blue. Jack moved his phone, and pressed a button to switch it to the speaker phone.

_**"I'll give you the help you need with Kiryu and the small child," **_came Godwin's voice. Distrust flashed across Yusei's eyes. _**"On one condition - you start going out with Carly and break your relationship with Mr. Fudo." **_

A light growl came from the back of Jack's throat. He looked over at Yusei, to see that he had a dark expression. "No. I'm not doing it! How many times to I have to tell you that Yusei is mine!"

A sigh came from the other end of the line. _**"Very well. I'll see what I can do, but you still have to take Carly out a few dates - agreed?" **_

Jack grunted in response. "Fine, I'll do it." He put his phone back in his pocket.

"Jack, who's Carly?" Yusei asked darkly.

* * *

Crow walked into Kiryu's apartment with the manager standing next him - a look of disgust on his face.

"I've been trying to kick Mr. Kyosuke out. However, his legal garden threatened me if I did anything ..." the manager started to explain.

A fake smile made its way to Crow's lips. "Thanks for letting me in. I'll handle it from here."

All the manager did was nod his head and handed Crow the keys. He turned and walked out to leave the red-haired teen. Crow scanned the room and picked the dirty blanket. He wrapped it around himself. Crow closed his eyes, inhaling Kiryu's fragrance of spice and ginger. Right there and then he decided that he was going to save the one he loved.

"Well, it's time for me to get to work ..." Crow whispered to himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPod Nano.

Crow put his head phones over his ear, and slected a song. A steady pace song flowed through his ears, as he started to pick up the trash. Crow sighed as he piled Kiryu's clothes trash in two heaps. The music started to fade out when an image of Kiryu fashed across Crow's mind. The smile he had. The energy, and most of all - the spark of life Kiryu had been in his eyes before Yusei - Crow shook his head. It wasn't his fault. Yusei was just being honest about his feelings.

"And I'm going to help Kiryu see that," Crow murmured, as he started to run the tap. He put a pan under the water. "They need to restart their relationship ... and have things be like they used to." Crow put some soap in, and pulled it out the sink. He heaved it over the counter and carried to the bathroom. "It looks like I'm going to be here for awhile."

To Be Continued ...


	8. Chapter 8

Heartaches

Chapter Eight

By Kellyq

"Jack, who's Carly?" Yusei asked darkly.

"It's not what you're thinking. You know that Godwin has been trying to keep us apart," Jack explained. "And you know that he's the only one who can help us free Kiryu from Rudger."

Yusei's expression darkened and there was tension in the air. "We've already talked about this, Jack. I'm the cause of Kiryu being in the state he's in now, and I need to take responsibility for what happened."

Jack growled and before he could stop himself, he rammed-sacked his boyfriend right in the gut. Yusei lurched and pain shot through his body. He groaned and glared at Jack, only to see a lot of emotions in his eyes that Yusei rarely saw.

"I'm not letting you do this by yourself! Didn't you see the look Rudger had in his eyes when he stared at you?" Yusei blinked. Now that he thought about it, the man did have a strange glint in his eyes. "Obviously you didn't." Jack sighed before he continued to speak. "Look, Yusei. I just don't want you to get hurt anymore than you have. When I first saw Kiryu eying you, I didn't think too much of it until I realized that I liked you. It came to me that Kiryu liked you too, but something told me that his love wasn't really going to be love at all ..."

Yusei stared at his boyfriend before he stepped up and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders, and buried his face in the blonde-haired teen's solid chest. "Thanks Jack. But next time, don't hit me so hard."

Jack sighed. "Sorry," he muttered. Jack wrapped his arms around Yusei and rubbed his back. "I just wanted you to understand that you're not doing this by yourself. I care about Kiryu too, and I hate him at the same time for hurting you ..."

Before Jack could finish, Yusei kissed him on the lips. "I don't think Kiryu hates me. Rudger is influencing him to hate me. I need to find a way to get Kiryu to understand that I do care about him like a best friend should."

* * *

Crow stepped back and looked at his handy work. Kiryu's apartment smelled better, even though it didn't shine like new, but it was better than before. Crow heaved the pan into the bathtub and dumped dirty soapy water down the drain. He rinsed the pan and bathtub out and gently tapped the pan on the side to get what was left of the water out, and laid the pan on its side. Crow went to the sink and washed his hands. After he had done that, he dried his hands with a towel. Crow pulled out his cell phone to notice that he had missed a call from Yusei.

Crow pressed a button and put the phone to his ear. He smiled when Yusei answered after the second ring. "Sorry that I missed your call. I was busy with cleaning Kiryu's apartment."

_**"Don't worry about it,**_" Yusei reassured, _**"how was he when you saw him?" **_

Crow sighed and leaned against the sink and slid to the floor. "He looked awful," he explained, trying to control his emotions, "he ... he didn't even recognize me when I came through the door ..."

_**"How about I come over," **_Yusei offered, _**"sounds like you need someone to talk to." **_

Crow smiled. "I'd like that," he murmured. He put his phone back into his pocket and closed his eyes, to take a small nap.

* * *

Crow awoke an hour later to someone shaking him lightly, and a soft firm voice calling out to him. Crow smiled and opened his eyes to see Yusei crouching right in front of him. They smiled at each other and did their formal greeting by giving one another a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for coming," Crow said, watching his friend sit next to him.

Yusei nodded his head. "Jack got Godwin to help us ... I'm not sure if he's really going to do it or not, but it's something."

"I don't trust that man either. They both should be put behind bars," Crow commented, "but for now we need to find a way to free Kiryu before Rudger kills what's left of his heart."

Half if Yusei's expression darkened, and he smiled at his friend. "You love Kiryu, don't you?"

Crow smiled. "Of course I do!" He responded, not fazed by the question, "but I don't think he likes me at all."

"I highly doubt that," Yusei said, shaking his head, "You are attractive, strong and kind. Anyone can easily fall in love with you. I almost did," Yusei explained, chuckling. Crow gave his friend a sideways glance, and raised a brow. "That was before I realized my feelings for Jack."

Crow laughed. "Same here! But let's always be best friends." He held out his fist, and Yusei did the same. They rubbed their fists together.

"Yeah ... best friends forever," Yusei murmured, a smile on his lips.

To Be Continued ...


	9. Chapter 9

Heartaches

Chapter Nine

By Kellyq

Carly dashed into the hospital and stopped suddenly when a woman with long black hair, slanted piercing hazel eyes stepped right in front of her. She had on a long white dress that covered half of her breasts. The lady went by the name of Misty.

Carly groaned, knowing what the woman wanted. "I'm going to be late for work," she explained, looking away. Carly never liked the way Misty stared at her. She always felt violated when Misty's eyes combed her body.

Misty wore a seductive smile on her lips as she advanced toward her prey, backing Carly to the wall. She leaned in, taking a gentle hold of Carly's glasses and took them off. "Hello there," Misty purred, staring into dark green eyes.

They looked at each other until they felt someone staring at them. Misty turned her head to see a teen with black spiky hair. Each spike had yellow highlights. He wore a blue jacket over a black shirt, blue pants and knee high boots. Yusei turned and walked to the front desk as Carly struggled free.

"Wait, excuse me," Carly called out.

She finally pushed Misty away, but she tripped and fell to the ground with a thump. Yusei turned and took a few steps, but he stopped when Misty gave him a piercing look. She crouched down and placed Carly's glasses back on her face.

"Careful," Misty murmured. She reached out and caressed Carly's back seductively once before she rose and walked past Yusei.

He looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes before he turned and helped Carly up, that's when he caught her name tag. "You're Carly, I presume?" Yusei questioned.

The young woman blinked. "Wha -?" she asked slowly. "Oh! That's me! How may I help you?" she asked, adjusting her spiral glasses.

"My name is Yusei, and I'm looking for a friend named Kiryu Kyosuke. He was in room 1219, but now I can't find him. What room did he get relocated at?"

"Let me check." Carly walked behind the desk and did some typing. When she was done, Carly let out a 'hmm'. "It seems like he had been moved due to having petit mal seizures and not getting the actual proper care that he needs," Carly explained. By this point, Yusei wore a dark expression. "He's in room 326, the second floor on your right."

Yusei nodded his head turned and made his way to the elevator. Carly looked back at the screen and read the rest of the profile.

* * *

A man about four feet tall walked down the street. He had short violet spiky hair, and pail skin. His pointy ears were pierced, and he wore fine clothes. This man went by the name of Jaeger. His green eyes held a lot of mischief. A smirk made its way to his dark purple lips. For the past three hours, he had been followed. Jaeger didn't know by who, but he was going to find out.

Jaeger stopped and chuckled. "You can come out now. I know you've been stalking me for the past three hours."

He turned and came face to face with Crow. Jaeger chuckled again. "Sorry - but you're not my type, and I already have a sex partner. Now if you excuse me, I have more important things to attend to."

Jaeger turned and took a few steps when a cord wrapped around his wrist, and he was pulled back. He looked over his shoulder to see that Crow had used a piece of wire to keep him in place.

"Not so fast you dirty rat bag," Crow growled, giving the cord a harsh tug. Jaeger turned fully to face the teen. "I want you to deliver a personal message to Godwin: He's got about two weeks to start helping, and if he doesn't - I'll have no problem telling the police what really happened between him, Rudger, and Yusei's parents - got that?"

Jaeger raised a brow. "Oh my," he stated casually, "and who are you to make ideal threats? I don't think you stated your name. Oh, wait. You look familiar," Jaeger questioned, a sly look on his face. "You're Crow, friends of Yusei and Jack."

The red-haired teen snickered. "Yeah. And you're Godwin's little slut - nice to meet you too," Crow mocked. He gave the wire another hard tug. "Now, are you going to deliver the message or not?"

Jaeger closed his eyes, looking as though he was contemplating. He giggled, and opened his eyes. "I might have time to deliver the message. Now ... let go of me before something bad happens to Mr. Kyosuke, is that clear."

Crow growled and the cord loosened. Jaeger took the opportunity to take hold of the cord and pull on it. Crow yelped in shock as he was yanked forward and then collapsed on the pavement. Crow growled again as he got up, holding his sore arm, watching Jaeger walk calmly past him.

To Be Continued ...


	10. Chapter 10

Heartaches

Chapter Ten

By Kellyq

Yusei walked toward the elevator and stopped when he saw Rudger. There was a lot of tension in the air as they stared at each other. Yusei gritted his teeth as he glared at the man.

"Yusei ..." the older man said calmly. Rudger's eyes combed the young teen's delicious body, "I was just going to arrange to have someone get you. Kiryu has been waiting for you to come see him."

"Hey," came Crow's voice. He ran up and stood protectively in front of his friend, "back off, man!" He turned and lead Yusei to the elevator and pressed the door closed. Rudger let out growl, and walked down the hallway. Crow sighed, "are you alright, buddy?" he asked, peering over his shoulder. Yusei smiled and nodded his head.

The two walked out the elevator when they reached the second floor and made their way to Kiryu's room. Crow was the first to come in with Yusei right behind him. Kiryu still had IVs taped to his arm. The oxygen mask was replaced with a nasal cannula. Kiryu slowly opened his eyes to see his two friends standing on either side of him.

"Yusei ..."

He smiled sadly at his friend, "Hey, Kiryu. Sorry that I hadn't had time to come see you, until now."

Crow chuckled nervously, "Like I said, that was my fault. I called Yusei to late to come see you."

"It doesn't mater," Kiryu stated bitterly, "you guys don't give a shit about me, anyways."

"You know that's not true," Crow said firmly, "we do care about you!"

Kiryu scoffed, "If you guys cared, I wouldn't be in this mess, right?" his eyes shifted to Yusei, giving him a hateful glare, "and it's your fault, Yusei! If you'd accepted me instead of Jack, I wouldn't be dying!"

Yusei's heart beat painfully in his chest, as he tried to mask his expression with a calm and caring one. _Kiryu ... what do I have to do to get you to realize that we care about you and want to save you from yourself, _Yusei thought. They were all so rapt that they didn't know that Carly was eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I still want to be your close friend, Kiryu," Yusei stated softly, moving a strand of hair from his face. "When we first met, there was something special about you."

Crow nodded his head, "we all felt that way. You gave us courage to fight for what we believe in."

Kiryu stared at his friends and his heart contracted in his chest. Memories of being on a team called _Satisfaction _at Satellite High School - giving them faith, courage, and most of all ... satisfaction of being strong. Crow and Yusei gave each other sideways glances and smiled when they noticed the look in Kiryu's eyes had changed just a little.

"Yeah, well ... that was the past! We're not a team anymore ... are we? No thanks to you!" Kiryu hissed, keeping his gaze fixed on Yusei.

_I'll have to ask Jack what is going on? _Carly thought. She watched a little more and realization sank in that Kiryu was not being accepted and Jack was. _That could mean anything, _she thought.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop, Carly," came Jack's southern crisp accent.

Carly turned and her head and her cheeks turned pink when Jack walked up. "Jack!" she squealed with delight.

The blonde-haired teen grunted in annoyance. Yusei stepped out of the room and raised a brow when he saw his boyfriend.

"What are you doing here, Jack?" Yusei questioned. They both stepped up and kissed.

Jack's eyes shifted to see Carly standing there, watching. _Sorry, but this is who I am,_ he thought as his eyes shifted back to his boyfriend, "you're still cell phoneless," Jack reminded. "I came here to tell you that Mina will take Rally out shopping tomorrow," Jack explained.

Yusei smiled, "that's good he's feeling better."

"Jack," came Carly's voice. The blonde-haired teen turned his head, wrapping his arms about Yusei, "are you guys going out?"

Jack sighed, "We've been going out for quite awhile. Sorry that I didn't tell you. I wasn't quite sure how you were going to take the news."

Carly smiled sadly, "If you're happy, that's all that matters." she gave a polite bow, "now if you excuse me, I need to make sure that Kiryu gets his meds."

* * *

Jeager pulled away from between Godwin's legs, took a napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth and the center of his lips with it. Godwin's room was six hundred square feet. A mongolian floor, a cherry wood desk, a lawn chair at the window facing the city.

"Sorry that I wasn't good for today," Jeager apologized. He chuckled. "I had a little run in with Mr. Fudo's bird brain friend. All he said was that you have three weeks to start helping with Mr. Kyosuke or he'll tell the police what really happened to you, your brother and Yusei's parents."

"And that troubled you?" Godwin asked, watching his partner clean up. They both had their bathrobes on.

_**"Godwin!"**_came Jack's voice, full of intense anger. The door burst open and he walked in with an aggravated expression.

The gray-haired man rose to his feet and raised a brow when he saw how tensed up Jack looked. The aura around the blonde-haired teen was stifling.

"Alright, start talking and tell me who the fuck Rudger is!" Jack demanded, getting into the older man's face.

Godwin placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, "There's not much I can tell you, other than he was a scientist and principal at Satellite High shcool."

Jack scoffed, "No shit Sherlock," he said, batting Godwin's hand away. "I already knew that! Now tell me something useful!" he ordered.

Jeager chuckled and meowed like an angry cat, "It seems like someone hadn't had their sex fix yet," he taunted.

Jack quickly pivoted and stomped his foot right in front him. Jeager yelped as he was grabbed by the collar and yanked up so that their noses were inches away. "Watch it you purple-haired little fuck," Jack hissed. He dropped Jeager and turned his attention to Godwin, "If you're not going to say anything about Rudger - tell me how you're going to help Kiryu."

Godwin sighed, "there's not much I can do with that. Kiryu has to make the decision and prove that he can handle himself, and if Rudger feels that he can't make it out on his own without supervision then he'll have to stay under Rudger's care," he explained. He paused for a moment, "I could take the whole thing to court - if that's what you prefer, but I would advise against that. From what I know about Rudger, he has a lot of allies ..."

Jack snickered, "and you don't? You are the drictor the Public Security Maintenance Bureau - are you not?"

Godwin sighed out of frustration, "Jack," he said calmly, "this is one of the reasons why I don't approve of you being with Yusei. You're going to wind up in a situation that's going to be far beyond your control."

Jack narrowed his eyes, "do you think I give a shit what you think? If you're not really going to help, just say so!"

"I did make an agreement with you already, Jack - as long as you keep yours," Godwin stated firmly.

To Be Continued ...


	11. Chapter 11

Heartaches

Chapter 11

By Kellyq

Rally blinked when he looked at himself in the mirror. He had on one of Mina's white shirts, and shorts. He stared at his own refection and sighed. Rally's knees were locked together, his hands were holding down the shirt, and his curly-red hair was combed. His body was thin and frail, and even though he was clean, faded cuts and bruises could be seen. It had been two days, and Rally was slowly starting to recover from what happened to him. He also got to know Mina, Jack, and Yusei.

"Why would they want to save someone like me?" he murmured to himself. "I'm nothing special."

Mina placed her soft slender warm hand on his shoulder. Rally shifted his gaze to the young woman. "You look fine. I promise."

Rally gazed back at his reflection as his hands nervously pulled the shirt down. "Its not that. I'm not used to wearing something like this."

Mina smiled. "When we get to the shopping mall, we'll get what you something you're used to wearing, which are dresses, right?"

Rally cringed. "I .. I know that's wrong ... but that's what I like to wear."

Mina was about to say some reassuring words when the door bell rang. Rally watched Mina walk out of the room with a blush on her pale cheeks. He followed her to the door, and she opened the it. A well fit, muscular man stood there. He had slanted hazel eyes, black hair, and his eye brows were shaped like a fat checkmarks. He wore a white shirt and a black coat, with black pants. In his hand was a single rose. This man went by the name of Trudge.

Mina blushed when he handed the rose to her. "Thanks," she murmured, smelling the flower.

Trudge smiled to her and eyed Rally for a moment. "So, that's him?" Mina nodded her head. "Let's go."

* * *

When they got to the mall, Rally stayed close to Mina. She led them to the clothing department. Rally loosened up and looked around. He walked over to the kids section and started to look at some dresses.

Trudge stared for a moment. "Uh - Mina, doesn't he know that he's a boy instead of a girl?" he murmured to her, watching Rally pick out an orange dress, and held it to his body to see if it would fit.

Mina was about to answer, but Rally beat her to the punch. "Mina? Can I try on this?"

The young woman smiled. "Sure."

Rally's face lit up as he turned and went to the fitting room to try it on. Mina and Trudge followed the boy and waited for him to come out. After a few seconds of waiting, Rally came out. The dress had long laces at the bottom and a 'v' shape collar.

Rally twirled around like a ballerina. "What do you think?"

Mina smiled. "It looks great on you. How does it feel?"

Rally smiled. "I like it." he paused for a momnet and his smile faded when he remembered Jack and Yusei. What if they didn't approve of him waring a dress?

Mina watched the boy closely. "Is everything alright?"

Rally fidgeted for a second before he hesitated to answer. "H-how will I tell Jack and Yusei that I like to wear dresses?"

"I don't know Mr. Fudo that well to tell a straight answer, but Jack can care less if you wear a dress," Mina answered.

* * *

The three came back to Jack's condo three hours later to see Yusei's motorcycle parked. Trudge glared at the vehicle with mild hate and disgust.

"Trudge ..." came Mina's voice, snapping the man out of his thoughts. He turned his full attention to her. "Thanks for the nice time and the flower."

Trudge scratched the back of his head nervously and a light blush made its way to his cheeks. Rally watched for a moment, grabbed the two bags and headed to the door. He knocked a few times and smiled when Yusei opened the door. The older teen smiled and stepped out of the way and Rally walked in. Yusei closed the door and left it unlocked as he watched Rally put the bags on the floor.

"Did you have fun going shopping?" Yusei asked. Rally nodded his head, the uneasy feeling returned to his gut. Yusei's expression softened. "You don't have to show me if you don't want to," he said softly.

Rally bit his lip, "If I show them, promise you won't laugh at me?"

Yusei's expression didn't change as he reassured the child, he wasn't going to make fun of him. Rally's face lit up and he grabbed the bag. He turned and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Yusei waited for a moment and the door to the bathroom open at the same time the front door. Yusei did a quick glance to see Mina walk in. His eyes shifted back to the bathroom and Rally walked out wearing the orange dress.

"Do you like it," Rally asked, twisting his body, a blush on his soft cheek.

"It looks great, Rally. Orange is a nice color on you," Yusei complimented.

Rally chuckled, feeling totally relaxed. He spun around like a ballerina. "I like orange! It's one of my favorite colors! Besides blue."

Mina observed the whole thing quietly, and that was when she noticed that Jack wasn't present. "Where's Mr. Atlus?"

"He's keeping his end of the bargain he made with Godwin," Yusei informed, facing her. "If he takes Carly out on a few outings, Godwin will help with our friend and help us find out who hurt Rally."

He bit his lip. "I'm okay," Rally reassured in a small voice. The two turned their full attention to the child. "You guys don't have to go that far for me."

Yusei stepped up and knelt down to Rally's eye level and touched his cheek. "You're a sweet kid, Rally, and you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age - But what happened to you was not okay."

Rally looked away. "I ... I know. It's ... just that I don't remember what fully happened. That's all."

Yusei pulled Rally close and held him tenderly in his arms. Mina watched for a moment and smiled. _I'm glad that Jack has someone like Mr. Fudo._ _I just hope that when Carly finds out she'll understand, _Mina thought.

To Be Continued ...


	12. Chapter 12

Heartaches

Chapter 12

By Kellyq

Carly looked at her watch and turned her head when she saw Jack riding up in his motorcycle. She stepped up and smiled, but it didn't reach her ears. Jack scooted back and she sat sideways on the motorcycle. Jack handed her a helmet as she pulled over her head. The blonde-haired teen started the engine, and they were off. They came to a nice restraint called "Neo Domino". Carly stared wide-eyed for a moment and smiled at her date. Jack led her in and they were waited on by a friendly man with spiky brown hair. The vest he had on over his gray shirt was the same color. This man was a little on the heavy side, but the look in his brown eyes said a lot. He went by the name of Tank.

"Hey, Jack and ..." Tank paused when he saw Carly standing there. She wore a plain white dress and her spiral glass was the one thing, he noticed the most, and the nervous smile she had. Carly blinked when she realized that Tank was patiently waiting for her to introduce herself.

Jack let out a grunt of irritation. "It's Carly. And don't even start asking, Tank. I'm not in the mood. Now bring us a menu."

He sat down and Carly sat down too. She watched Tank get the menu's and came back, placing them down. "Would you like anything to drink?" He asked, holding a pad and pin in his hands.

"Water," Jack answered.

Carly looked at the menu over and 'hmmed'. "I'll go for a dutch chocolate shake."

Tank nodded his head, wrote them down and walked around, attending to some of the other customers. Jack opened the menu book and looked at what was good, not even paying any attention to Carly. She sighed and opened her menu too, and glanced at what was to eat. After a few moments, Carly couldn't take it.

"Um .. Jack?" she finally spoke. He looked up from the book. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If it's referring to anything on the menu, Tank will tell you what you need to know," Jack answered.

"No, It's regarding to your friend, Kiryu," Carly said, hoping that her _date _wouldn't be more irritated than he was. "He said that Yusei didn't accept him, but you got accepted. What did he mean by that?"

Jack closed the menu and placed it on the table just as Tank walked back with a tall dutch chocolate shake and water. The waiter placed the beverages on the table.

"Are you guys ready to order, or would you guys like more time?"

"We'll order now. I'm going to have the usual, Seizer Salad with crab and Vinaigrette Dressing on the side," Jack answered.

"I think I'll go for the same thing but with chicken and Ranch on the side, please."

Tank nodded his head and wrote it all down, took the menu and walked to another table. Carly waited for a moment for Jack to answer her question, after a few seconds, he finally spoke.

"We went to Satellite High school together," Jack explained. "When you're there, you're surrounded by friends to keep you company. _I _had Yusei, Crow and Kiryu. We've known each other for a long time, and we became a squad called _Team Satisfaction, _by the time we went to Satellite. We had our own turf that we hung out at."

By this point, Tank came up with the salads and placed them on the table. He nodded his head, turned and walked away.

Carly nodded her head. She took her dressing and poured it over her salad. "Yeah. But that still doesn't answer my question."

Jack let out a sigh. "To give you the run down, Kiryu has feeling for Yusei, but he doesn't feel that way, since we're going out."

"I see," Carly murmured. She took a long sip of her milk shake looking real depressed.

Jack sighed again. "I may not like you in that way, but I'm still willing to be your friend, Carly."

She smiled sadly. "Sure. Whatever makes you happy."

* * *

Yusei smiled and pulled the blanket over Rally's body. The clock struck midnight by the time Yusei got Rally to sleep. The small child was wearing a long blue nightgown and stockings over his feet. He lay curled on the couch, his head propped against a soft cushion. Yusei sat there for a moment until the door opened and Jack walked in, not even paying any attention of how loud he was being.

Yusei rose to his feet, not even noticing that the slightest movement of the couch woke up Rally. He opened one eye watched Yusei greet his boyfriend.

"Hey, Jack," Yusei murmured. "Keep it down. Rally's sleeping."

Violet eyes peered over Yusei's shoulder and Rally closed his eyes tightly. Jack shrugged and pulled his boyfriend into a heated kiss. Rally opened one eye again and smiled, watching their display of affection toward each other.

To Be Continued ...


	13. Chapter 13

Heartaches

Chapter 13

By Kellyq

Crow walked into the hospital room with a glass of water when he noticed Kiryu was twitching and shaking. Crow dropped the glass and ran over to Kiryu's side, and pressed the 'nurse' button above the bed. It didn't take long before a woman in her mid 40s came in. She had black curly hair, fine dark wrinkled old skin, and her eyes held love and kindness. This kind lady went by the name of Martha.

"Don't just stand there, Crow!" she said ordered, rushing over to the bed. "He needs to be turned over on his side!"

"R-right!" the red haired teen did what he was told. "What's wrong with him?" Crow asked, watching Martha angled Kiryu's head down.

"He's having a seizure! You know what that is right?" Martha asked, wiping the saliva off of Kiryu's mouth.

"Uh ... yeah ... sort of," Crow answered, scratching the back of his head nervously. "But he's never had seizures before! What could've caused it?"

A light moan got Martha and Crow to stare down at Kiryu as he opened his unfocused eyes. "I ... I hate this," he murmured, closing them. "Why can't Yusei love me for who I am?"

Crow bit his bottom lip. "You know that Yusei cares about you!"

Kiryu scoffed, or tried to. His unfocused golden eyes stared at Crow as he glared. "I don't understand why you keep sticking up for him! We're friends aren't we? Friends are supposed to care about each other - defend each other - be there for each other, right?"

Crow felt like he was slugged in the gut. By this point Martha had left to get the lidocaine. "Of course we're friends, Kiryu."

Just before he could make a remark, Martha came back with a syringe and needle. Kiryu eyed it for a moment before he started to reach for the IV that was taped to his arm.

Crow grabbed Kiryu's arm back. "You shouldn't do that!"

Kiryu let out a grunt of anger as Martha attached the needle and syringe to the IV. After that was done, she rubbed Kiryu's arm, smiled and walked out.

"You can let go of my hand," Kiryu spoke up, after a few moments of silence. "And leave me alone. I don't need you to watch me like a hawk."

Crow lowered his head and his expression darkened. He tightened his grip on Kiryu's hand. "I know you don't care about me, but _I _care about you, because you're my friend - my best friend!"

By this point, Crow's hand was shaking. Kiryu wanted to glare at his friend, but he didn't with the vibes he got from Crow. Kiryu sighed out of frustration, knowing that it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of his friend.

"Fine, do whatever you want."

Crow lifted his head and smiled, but it was sad. He wanted say more, but Crow noticed that Kiryu had fallen a sleep.

* * *

Rally woke up feeling a slight chill run through his body. He bundled up more, but after laying there, Rally got up and made his way over to Jack's room. He knocked softly on the door. After a moment of standing there, Yusei opened it.

"Rally? What's wrong?" Yusei murmured, trying to keep his voice down.

"Is ... is it okay if I ... uh.... sleep with you and Jack? I've been cold every night."

Jack was up by this point, and he looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. He sat up and called for Mina. In two minutes the young house keeper was out of her room that was across the hall.

"Mina, go check on the thermostat, and send Rally back to bed, it's 2 in the morning!"

Rally cringed. Mina walked to the end of the hallway to look at the built in heater/Air conditioner. The gage displayed 71 degrees. "I'm sorry," Rally murmured, "I'll go back to bed."

"The temperature is only 71," Mina informed. By this point, Rally had already gone back to the couch. "What did Rally want?"

"He wanted to sleep with us to stay warm," Yusei explained.

"He can sleep in my bed, and I'll take the couch," Mina offered.

"No!" Both Jack and Yusei said at the same time.

"You don't need to do that," Yusei said, "I'll handle this. Go back to bed."

Mina bowed and walked back to her own room and closed the door. Yusei walked into the living room to see Rally laying there with a troubled look.

"Maybe I should be a man and deal with it," Rally muttered.

"Don't worry about -"

_"Yusei," _came Jack's voice from the open door to his bedroom. _"Don't worry about Rally and get your ass in here!" _

"I'll be right back." He turned and walked down the hallway. Rally sighed, and he waited for a good two minutes before Yusei came back. "You can sleep with us."

Rally's face lit up as he got off the couch and hugged him. "Thanks! I'd rather sleep with you guys than out here."

Yusei smiled. "You know nothing is going to happen. Trudge won't let anything suspicious get past him."

Rally raised a brow. "He's a cop? Who would've thought. I should've figured that out, and I never liked the way he stared at you."

Yusei rolled his eyes when he said that. He took Rally's hand and lead him back to the room. Yusei closed the door as Rally crawled onto the bed and hugged Jack.

"Thanks, Jack!" he then laid down. "I promise not to squirm to much." Rally snuggled into sheets, and laid close to Yusei when he moved the sheets and laid down as well. "Night," Rally murmured, before falling into a peaceful slumber.

To Be Continued ...


	14. Chapter 14

Heartaches

Chapter 14

By Kellyq

Misty looked up to see Carly walking toward the hospital information desk. Her hair wasn't combed out, and her glasses were crooked. Her nurse outfit was wrinkled, and she looked like she was ready to fall at any moment. Misty stepped out from behind the counter and caught Carly just before she fell. Her spiral glasses slid off and landed by their feet.

"What happened?" Misty asked, concern laced in her deep voice.

"It was Jack ... I wanted him to be my boyfriend, but he turned out to love someone else - and it was a guy, for that matter!"

By this point, the two girls were slumped on the floor. Carly wrapped her arms around Misty and cried. The older woman wrapped her arms around the depressed woman and rubbed her back.

"Maybe he wasn't the one for you to start with," Misty murmured, feeling bad for her, even though she was secretly pleased that Jack didn't like her.

Carly nodded her head and pulled away and that was when she realized that Misty was holding her. They both stared at each other for a moment, and for the first time, Carly didn't see or sense anything but concern in Misty's eyes. She reached for the spiral glasses and placed them gently on Carly's face.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Carly. Now come on. I think a _girls outing _should do you good_._"

"Yeah but -" she started to protest, as she was pulled to her feet.

"Don't worry about it. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen to you, so I already have things arranged for you," Misty informed. "Now, come."

* * *

Rally sat up and rubbed his right eye with the back of his hand. He stifled a yawn and stretched his limbs. Rally pulled himself out of the bed and crawled to the end. He carefully got off and soundlessly walked to the door. Rally peered over his shoulder to see that Jack had moved next to Yusei, and held him close.

Rally smiled, opened the door and closed it softly. He made his way to the kitchen to see Trudge sitting at the table and Mina making breakfast. She turned and walked to the table, placing a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes.

Trudge eyed the breakfast. "Those look good, Mina."

The young woman smiled. "Thanks." Mina's eyes shifted over to Rally who sat himself down. "Morning. Would you like some Orange juice?"

Rally shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Uh ... can I have some coffee instead?"

Mina raised a brow, Trudge, on the other hand, almost choked on his drink.

"No! Little kids shouldn't drink coffee!" He pointed out.

"Trudge, can you keep your voice down?" Mina suggested, half scolded. "Mr. Atlus is still sleeping."

"It's already too late for that."

They turned their heads to see him standing there. He walked up and sat down. Mina placed a cup of coffee and an empty plate in front of him.

"Mina, make sure that there's enough coffee for everyone," Jack said, eyeing Rally for one moment.

She nodded her head, and Rally's face lit up. Mina turned and went to the cabinet and pulled out two more coffee cups.

"Would you like creamer or sugar in your coffee, Rally?" Mina asked, taking the coffee pot off the maker and pouring out some in each cup.

"Cream, please," Rally answered.

By this point, Trudge was on his forth helping of Pancakes. A soft growl came from the back of Mina's throat when she turned and placed the cups on the table.

"Trudge," she scolded. "That was for everyone!"

He scratched the back of his head nervously and was about to apologize, when Yusei walked in. He was already dressed, but something wasn't right, and Mina was the first to pick up on the vibes.

"Mr. Fudo, what's wrong?"

"I have to go to the hospital," Yusei answered. That got everyone's attention. "I'll be back later."

He turned and walked to the front door with Jack following close behind.

"What's going on? Was that Crow you were talking to, earlier?" Jack asked, remembering being woken up to his cell phone ringing, shortly after Rally walked out. He watched them closely.

"Kiryu had a bad seizure last night, and he hit his head early this morning after Crow had left to get breakfast," Yusei explained, trying to keep his voice calm. "He's in the O.R. right now."

* * *

Crow sat in the waiting room, a helpless look in his eyes. He wanted much to pound his own head into a wall. _I am a bird brain, _he thought. He sat there until familiar footsteps reached his ears. Crow looked up to see Jack, Trudge, Mina, Yusei, and a child about nine years old. He had bushy red hair, soft skin and hazel eyes. He wore an orange dress with laces at bottom. Crow didn't pay much attention to anyone in the room but Yusei. He threw himself in his friends arms.

"I'm such a bird brain! Why can't I do anything right!" Crow sobbed out.

Rally quietly watched the scene unfold, feeling his own heart throb for Yusei and his friend. The dark-haired teen held Crow tenderly and kissed him on the cheek. _I'm going to make Rudger regret this, _Yusei thought, as his expression darkened with loathing.

Martha, who had came in moments before, cleared her throat to make her presence known. Rally was the first to turn to see her, and the others finally turned their attention to the older woman.

"Kiryu's skull is okay, but he has brain damage from falling down the stairs and hitting his head hard."

To Be Continued ...


	15. Chapter 15

Heartaches

Chapter 15

By Kellyq

The room was silent for a moment until heavy footsteps reached their ears, and Rudger walked in. The atmosphere in the room turned cold. Martha moved out of the way for the older man. He regarded everyone in the room. Rally shivered, feeling violated, but he noticed how Rudger eyes shifted to Yusei, and he was starting at his friend with a glint in his eyes. Trudge observed the whole thing quietly, not liking the hostile vibes, he got from the man in front of him.

"Who are you?" Trudge finally asked.

Rudger's eyes shifted to the man. They had a short stare down. "It's Rudger and your Trudge, a motorcycle cop, who works for Director Rex Godwin."

Trudge blinked. _How did he know that? I don't even have my uniform on_, he thought. "You didn't state your last name."

"My last name is not important right now," Rudger said.

Quick anger clouded Trudge's judgment as he reached out and grabbed Rudger's shirt. The older man took hold of his wrist, tightening his hold and easily yanked Trudge back. He was a bit surprised that Rudger had that much strength.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Rudger warned, not fazed by Trudge's glare. "Now what's with Kiryu hitting his head?"

Martha nodded her head. She was about to tell them when happened, but Crow beat her to the punch.

"I went to get some breakfast, when I came back, he was gone," he explained. "A trail of blood led me to the stairs, and I found him at the bottom."

Yusei watched Rudger closely. _He has no feelings what so ever about Kiryu_, he thought, noticing that Rudger didn't react the way he should have. Rally observed the whole thing quietly.

"He's also been having seizures," Yusei shared. Rudger raised a brow. "Bad ones I might add."

"How unfortunate for this to happen." Rudger sighed. _This will definitely change things_, he thought. "Where is he now?"

All ears perked up, and they glanced at Martha. "I'm not sure what room he'll be in, or if he's out of the O.R yet, but when everything calms down, I'll give you a call."

Rudger nodded his head and walked out. The tension in the room had lifted somewhat.

"I hope he didn't catch on that I lied," Martha said. "I've been trying to keep Rudger away from Kiryu, so he can heal, but I haven't had much luck." She sighed.

"On top of that, some of the medications that he's taking are the cause of his seizures."

"What type of meds is he taking?" Yusei asked.

Martha reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that was creased a few times. Yusei and Crow walked up as Martha handed the folded paper to Yusei. He opened it up to see that it was a chart of Kiryu's medications and some of the street drugs.

"I'm not really supposed to give you this, but I wanted you guys to know what's going on - considering that he never had this problem before he started to take Axert and Prosom," Martha explained. "The Doctor tried to get Rudger to sign some paper work so Kiryu can change the dosage, but he keeps on getting the wrong number. So I've been sneaking Mysoline and giving it to Kiryu. It should help."

Everyone but Rally nodded their heads. "Where's Kiryu now," Yusei asked.

"I'll lead you guys there," Martha answered.

* * *

They came to the third floor and followed Martha to a blue colored door. "bear in mind that Kiryu has Brian damage, so he's not going to remember any of you, not be able to talk well and his balance is way off."

She opened the door and stepped inside. The other followed her in. The room was all white and spacious, but for a window and a single bed. Kiryu was propped upright against the pillow, his arm in a sling, and a piece of cloth around his head.

He eyed everyone in the room and smiled, having a familiar feeling that he knew them, but he didn't know from where. Martha walked to the side of the bed.

"Good morning, Kiryu. You have some visitors."

He only smiled as they walked to the bed. Kiryu eyed everyone and his gaze fell upon Yusei. He reached out for his friend and Yusei took his hand. He stared into amber eyes that had changed from hateful to a small spark that used to be there before they had their first fight.

"Do you remember Yusei?" Martha asked, surprised.

Kiryu looked at Martha for a moment then stared back at his friend. "Y - Yus - Yuse -"

"That's right, I'm Yusei. A friend. All the rest of these guys," he explained, point to the group, "are your friends too. That's Rally, Mina, Trudge, Martha, Jack and -" Yusei paused when he noticed that Crow was gone. "I'll be right back."

He let go of Kiryu's hand and walked out to find his friend slumped on the foor, pounding his fist on the tile. Yusei watched for a moment.

"This isn't Fair!" Crow cried out, "this isn't fair to you either! I wanted to some how fix your relationship, but not like this!"

Half of Yusei's expression darkened. "It wasn't your fault, Crow. We're all trying our best to protect him."

He nodded his head. Crow rose to his feet and turned and smile, but Yusei could tell that it was fake and Crow was trying to mask his expression, with a cheerful one. "I suppose you're right. Now let's try and get our friend back."

_Oh Crow ... _Yusei thought, feeling a pang for his best friend. _I think it's time I have a friendly chat with Godwin,_ he thought as his expression darkened.

To Be Continued ...


	16. Chapter 16

Heartaches

Chapter 16

By Kellyq

A limo arrived at the shopping mall. The driver got out and opened the side door. People, who happened to walk by stopped and stared as a tall black-haired woman stepped out. She wore a long white dress and a shawl draped over her shoulders. Standing next to her was another woman, shorter than herself. She also had black hair, and wore a white shirt with blue stripes, blue jeans pants.

"Uh ... Misty, why are all these people staring at us?" Carly asked, noticing that random people were eyeing them.

After Misty picked Carly off the hospital floor, she led the confused woman to her limo. Carly's mouth dropped. The limo was a dark shade of blue, and the limo driver was a tall man with black straight hair and pitch black eyes. He wore a nice tuxedo over his well fit body.

"Isn't that Misty Lola?" came a voice, snapping Carly out of her thoughts. The young woman turned to people staring at them with awe in their eyes. "Who's that with her? Is she a model to?"

Whispers and murmurs started to get Carly nervous. Misty smiled and hooked her arm around her friend's biceps. Carly adjusted her gaze and blushed, feeling her heart skip a beat - the same way it did for Jack. _She is pretty ... but why is she being nice to me suddenly_? That thought caused Carly to shiver, remembering all the times when Misty had stared at her with a look of hunger in her eyes and Carly didn't like it.

"Are you cold?" Misty asked suddenly, pulling Carly out of her daydream.

"N-no! I was wondering why you're nice to me all of sudden ... that's all."

"Come on. We're going to have some fun," Misty urged, guiding her secret crush inside the mall.

* * *

Once Crow walked back into the room, Jack turned to see that Yusei wasn't by his side.

"Where's Yusei?" Rally asked, concern laced in his voice.

That got everyone else's attention. Jack narrowed his eyes and walked out followed by Rally.

"I hope Mr. Fudo is all right," Mina said, concern in her lime green eyes.

Trudge scoffed. "There's no reason to worry about that street slut ..." Before he could say anything else, Martha, who was standing close to him, pulled on his ear. "Owch! Why did you do that for?"

"I will not have you insult Yusei!" Martha scolded. "He's a good person!"

"Yeah! He hasn't done anything to you!" Crow accused.

The police officer eyed them both, and he looked over at Mina to see that she had a scowl on her face.

"_You_ may not like Mr. Fudo, but I don't believe that he's a street slut! He's a nice person, and he makes Jack happy."

Martha chuckled and shook her head. "That's no big surprise. Jack always loved Yusei. I remember when Yusei first arrived at the orphanage, Jack was the first one to get him to stop crying."

"That makes sense," Crow spoke up. "There were multiple times when Yusei was sad or depressed, I couldn't cheer him and Jack was the only one who could."

* * *

Rally quietly followed Jack to the hospital parking lot. He made sure that he was well hidden, and watched Jack approach his boyfriend who was currently sitting sideways on his red motorcycle.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked gently, watching his boyfriend for a moment.

Yusei sighed and closed his eyes and lowered his head with shame. "I don't know what to do anymore. I tried to protect Kiryu, but I failed him as a friend."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Just because _he _chose to go down the stairs and fall doesn't mean you're the cause of it." Yusei looked up sharply. "You know very well that Kiryu brought this on himself without even regarding _your_ feelings, or anyone else for that mater."

"I - I know that. But Kiryu _does_ has feelings too," Yusei pointed out. "And I try really hard not to hurt him."

Jack sighed and pulled Yusei close, allowing his boyfriend to shed a few tears. Rally stood there, clutching his chest, feeling his heart beat painfully in his chest. He too, wanted to cry for Yusei. _No! Yusei wouldn't want me to feel this way, _he thought. _I'm going to help him! _Rally's expression changed to determination. _I'm to find out who that creepy guy was, and help Yusei! _

To Be Continued ...


	17. Chapter 17

Heartaches

Chapter 17

By Kellyq

After Mina, Trudge, and Martha left the room, Crow looked over at Kiryu to see him staring at him with curiosity. Kiryu poked his cheek which was painted of a lightning bolt.

"Like it huh? Kids always like to paint my face," Crow explained, smiling. Kiryu smiled back, amusement in his amber eyes as he pulled on Crow's ear. "Hey! Don't do that," he scowled lightly. "You only do that when someone is being bad." Kiryu chuckled and flicked Crow on the head. "Why are you so mean? I didn't do anything," he whined, a hint of teasing laced in his voice.

"F-friends?" Kiryu finally spoke up.

"Yep. We're good friends. I'm Crow."

Kiryu nodded his head. "Crow," he repeated, taking in at what his friend looked like.

He had red bushy hair that spiked out liked a porcupine, and brown cloth around his head to keep his hair up. In the middle of his forehead was a tattoo in the shape of an "M". The earrings he had on both ears were in the shape of bolts to a wrench. The look in Crow's eyes was hazel green with a lot of personality, and the shapes of his eyebrows were like question marks. The color of Crow's shirt was orange, and to top it off his style, he had on fingerless gloves and dark blue jeans with knee high combat boots.

Kiryu smiled and took Crow's hand and laced their fingers together. "G-Good f-friends," he repeated.

* * *

Rally walked back into the hospital to see Mina scowling and Trudge had a sour look.

"I just don't understand why you have such a negative approach toward Mr. Fudo? What did he do?" Mina asked.

Trudge grumbled. "I did catch him doing some illegal things with his motorcycle, and I've tried to stop him, but I wasn't successful at it."

"Did anyone else get hurt or was he just by himself?" Mina asked.

Trudge sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to win the argument. Mina was going to defend Yusei despite what happened between them.

"Uh ... Mina?" Rally spoke up, getting her and Trudge's attention. "Can we go back to Jack's place; I want to play on the computer."

Mina smiled. "Sure. I'm sure this whole thing is boring you."

Rally smiled. "Don't worry about it. I kind of got the gist of what's going on now." _This way I can help Yusei find out who that guy was. _

Trudge sighed. _Maybe I shouldn't grumble and help if it means getting Mina to smile again and getting her to see that I'm not that bad. _"If you're ready to go, I'm ready."

* * *

When the three made it back to the condo, both Jack and Yusei's motorcycle's were there. Rally was the first to get out of the car and made his way to the front door. He opened it and walked in to see Jack sitting on the couch, talking on the phone. Mina came up behind Rally and noticed right away that Jack was talking to Godwin.

Rally quickly walked past the living room, and down the hallway to the computer room. He stopped when he saw Yusei turning the monitor off. He turned the chair around. Rally didnt like the sad look in Yuseis eyes.

"Hey Rally. Do you need something?" Yusei asked, rising to his feet. He hopped that he didn't see what was on the screen. Rally took hold of the door and closed. He stepped up and hugged Yusei. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that," Rally spoke up, after a moment of silence. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Yusei smiled at Rally. "You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine," he reassured. "Besides I don't want to drag you further into this mess than I have."

"I want to help! You helped me - you gave me a home, clothes, and food," Rally said, tightening his grip around Yusei. They both stared at each other for a moment. "You're like a big brother to me, Yusei - and seeing you in pain hurts me - please, let me help!"

Hurt flashed across Yusei's eyes and his heart contracted in his chest. He knelt down and hugged Rally, kissing him on the forehead. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to hurt you."

"Don't worry about it," Rally murmured. "I want to help you find out who this Rudger person is. He gave you a creepy look when we were waiting to know about your friend Kiryu."

"I'd rather you didn't," Yusei murmured back, pulling away so that they were eye level. "Rudger already targeted one of my friends, and I don't want him to hurt you either."

Rally sighed out of disappointment. "Who is Kiryu?"

"He's a friend of mine I've known for a very long time," Yusei explained. "It wasn't until four years ago he told me that he loved me, but I was already going out with Jack by the time he told me." Rally nodded his head. "And things just went downhill with our relationship. Kiryu and I ended up fighting with each other. He would blame me for his life going up in flames, and that part hurt more than our fights did."

Rally hugged him. "At least you have someone like Jack to love and protect you."

Yusei smiled a look of thanks in his expression. "That's good you're not afraid of Jack. He can be grumpy at times, but he does have a good heart."

Rally chuckled. Uh can I ask you a question?

And whats that?

Just before Rally could ask how Jack and he ended up together, the blonde walked in and closed the door. Godwin is going to have Trudge monitor the floor so that nothing else happens, and I'm going to have Mina and Akiza find out by using Kiryu's medical information of who Rudger is, Jack explained, not paying any attention that Rally was watching and listening.

"Yeah," the little boy pepped up. "And the three of us can use the net to see what we can find out, just like you were doing just a few moments ago."

Yusei closed his eyes and his expression darkened, as he sighed. Jack watched his boyfriend for a moment, and narrowed his eyes when he read the vibes he got from Yusei. He advanced toward his boyfriend and Rally moved out of the way, not liking the hostile vibes.

"You were thinking about handing yourself over, weren't you!" By this point, Jack had taken hold of Yusei's shirt and pushed him back in the chair and leaned over him with his hands each armrest. The blonde-haired teen had an intense expression and his eyes held jealousy. Yusei's expression didn't change. He looked down as his body started to shake. "You do that, I'll kick your ass - so don't even think about it! Besides, you know that's what Rudger wants you to do!"

"It's just that I don't think I can take anymore of this," Yusei finally spoke up, his voice soft and fragile.

Rally watched with concern in his eyes. Jack, on the other hand, leaned closer to his boyfriends face. He made sure that Yusei was staring at him. "And you think that you're the only one affected by this? What about Crow?" Yusei cringed, and his body tensed up as he tried to press into the chair. "That's right! _You_ haven't thought that maybe he's in more pain than you, considering that he has feelings for Kiryu!"

Hot tension was in the room for a moment. Jack cursed inwardly for creating it or hurting Yusei. The black-haired teen shifted in the chair, and Jack's cell phone went off. The two boys knew that it was Crow. Jack pulled back and allowed his boyfriend to answer it. Yusei grabbed the phone and walked out, closing the door behind him.

To Be Continued


	18. Chapter 18

Heartaches

Chapter 18

By Kellyq

Rally slipped out of the room once the tension had gotten too much for him. He made his way into the living room to see Mina just getting off the phone. She blinked when she noticed the depressed look in his eyes.

"Rally, is everything alright? Jack and Yusei aren't ..."

Before Mina could finish, the door to the computer room opened and Yusei walked out, closing the door behind him. He put the cell phone to his ear and started to talk. He turned and walked to Jack's room and closed the door. The blonde-haired teen came out of the computer room a moment later. He wore a dark expression as he walked to his room and opened the door. Jack walked into the room and closed the door.

"I hope that Jack is not going to hurt Yusei," Rally spoke up in a small voice.

"Were they fighting?" Mina asked, looking down at the boy with concern in her eyes.

"No. But Jack wasn't happy when Yusei thought about handing himself over to Rudger," Rally explained.

Mina covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp. Her lime-green eye widened in horror and shivered at the thought. Images of Rudger hurting Yusei mentally and sexually went through her mind. Mina's eyes rolled to the back of her head and a thump reached Rally's ears. He turned to see that Mina had fainted.

Mina woke up an hour later to see that she had been moved from the floor to the couch. Jack, Yusei, and Rally were standing over her.

"Are you alright?" Yusei asked her.

"Yeah." Mina sat up, and eyed Jack for a moment before her gazed shifted over to Yusei. She rose to her feet, a determined look on her face. "Can I talk to you alone, Mr. Fudo?"

Yusei blinked. "Sure." He followed her to the computer room and closed the door. "What's going on?"

Mina walked to the computer table. She opened the file drawer and pulled out a peach-colored folder. Mina turned and her expression hadn't changed. "There's something you should know," she started. "I looked your father up, and it turned out that Godwin, Rudger and your dad worked together as Scientists," she explained.

Yusei nodded his head. "Did it say how Rudger became involved with Kiryu?"

Mina shook her head. "It didn't, but here. This will be helpful." before she handed the file over, Mina gave Yusei a serious stare. "But don't hand yourself over - whatever you do, okay?" she scolded lightly, handing the file over.

Yusei smiled. "Don't worry," he reassured her, rubbing the back of his hip, "Jack already talked me out of that idea." He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

A blush made its way to Mina's pale cheeks. She had a pretty good idea that Jack must've spanked Yusei for having such an idea.

_"Mina!" _came Jack's voice, snapping her out of her thought. "_I need you to come out here!" _

She opened the door and walked into the living room, and bowed. "What is that you need me to do?"

"Take Rally to Martha's."

"Why can't I help?" Came Rally's voice.

They both turned to see him sitting on the couch with a cute pout on his face. Yusei walked out of the room with his laptop under his arm. Rally jumped off the couch and went over to Yusei.

"Why can't I help you guys?"

Yusei knelt down and placed his hand on Rally's shoulder. He gave him a reassuring smile. "I'd feel better knowing that you're out of harm's way."

Rally sighed. "I was hoping that I can help you guys, and not have to be sent away. I had bad experiences with orphanages."

"Would you feel better if Jack and I came along to make sure that things are alright?" Yusei offered.

Jack grunted in response. "Fine, we can do that."

Rally's face lit up. He turned and hugged him. Mina watched with a smile.

* * *

The gang came to what looked like an ordinary house. The outside was painted white. The window frames were painted yellow, and the roof was shingled. A white fence stretched all around the house, and the lawn was mowed. Rally had to admit that place looked inviting. Jack, Mina, Rally, and Yusei stood there for a moment.

"I'm not sure if Martha's home or not," Yusei informed.

Just as he said that, the door opened and two twin children came out. They both had turquoise green hair and hazle green eyes. The female's hair was in pig-tails. She went by the name of Luna. The boy's hair was pulled up in high pony tail that bushed like a Pom-Pom. He went by the name of Leo. Luna wore a red shirt and her twin brother wore a blue shirt.

"Yusei!" they both exclaimed. The twins ran up and hugged him. By this point, Rally was standing behind Mina, watching.

"What's all the commotion?" came a voice that Yusei recognized.

The twins let their friend go as he looked up and smiled at the man who was a few years older than him. He had dark short hair. He had slanted brown eyes, facial hair and a starting of a mustache. He wore a white shirt, and over it was a brown vest, with matching pants. The boots he had on were also the same color.

"Hey, Yusei. It's been a while," the teen said.

"Same goes for you, Blister," Yusei said, walking up to him, and their hands came into contact. "What are you doing here?"

"Martha wanted me to help you guys find out who Rudger is," he explained, their hands dropped to their sides. "And from what I heard, he might be related to Rex Godwin."

Everyone was shocked. A low menacing growl came from the back of Jack's throat. He turned and walked over to his motorcycle. Mina shivered. She never liked the older man; there was something not right about him. Jack put his helmet on and started the engine. Yusei turned and in one swift motion, he was in front of Jack's motorcycle. Hot tension radiated off their bodies.

"Jack, you know that headlong is not going to solve the situation and we know that Godwin is not going to help us the way we want him to help us," Yusei pointed out.

"Yusei's right, Jack," Mina spoke up. She felt the need to speak her mind. She turned to face the blonde-haired teen. "Godwin won't do anything until there's evidence that Rudger is the one who's causing Kiryu to go downhill, and he has to make an actual complaint about the care he's getting."

Jack grunted in response. "Fine, I'll stick around." He pulled off his helmet, and moved himself from his motorcycle. "Even though I feel useless sitting around doing nothing."

Yusei winced inwardly, catching meaning behind what his boyfriend said. _I need to get to the bottom of this before anyone else gets hurt, _he thought.

To Be Continued ...


	19. Chapter 19

Heartaches

Chapter 19

By Kellyq

Misty led Carly to the fitting room. A couple of women were ready to take some measurements.

"Uh ... I already know what size pants, shoes, and tops," Carly uttered, feeling a little nervous, and uneasy.

Amusement flashed across Misty's eyes. "Don't worry, these girls are skillful at what they do and besides, there's an outfit that I want you to try on."

Carly shifted her gaze to see one of the women was holding up a black tank top with a shawl. It also came with knee high boots and a pair of black shorts that was long enough to go past the hips.

Misty watched Carly for a moment. "Go ahead," she murmured seductively, standing behind her. "Try it."

"Do ... do think that Jack will like it?" Carly asked, timidly.

The vibes right then changed as Misty turned her around. She took off Carly's glasses and stared into her eyes.

"You should forget about that man," Misty spoke up hints of jealousy and anger in her voice.

Carly squirmed a little. "I ... I know ... it's just that I still care about him," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I mean, is it wrong to still care about him?"

Misty sighed, not meaning to scare the woman she loved. "Look, he's just hurting you and you're letting him do it without regarding your feelings."

* * *

After Mina left, Yusei introduced Rally to the other kids. At first, most of them thought that Rally was a girl until he said in a timid voice 'It's nice to meet you'; they were shocked that Rally was a boy. Leo, on the other hand, started to ask Rally questions. How come you're wearing a dress? What does a dress feel like? Luna eyed Rally for a moment and noticed that he looked a little nervous, so she whacked her brother on the side of the head.

"Don't scare him, Leo!" she scowled lightly. "He probably has his own reasons why he wears a dress, and he doesn't want to share it."

"Geez!" Leo huffed, "I was just asking, considering that I always wanted to dress up like a girl!"

By this point, Yusei and Blister were in the main room, setting up their laptops together with Wi-Fi and the latest hacking software. Rally slipped out of the kitchen and made his way into the main room, just as Jack's cell phone that Yusei was borrowing went off. He grabbed it from the table and walked out just as he put it to his ear.

Rally watched Blister turn on both laptops and fiddle with the connections.

"So," he started, trying to make ideal conversation, snapping Rally out of his thoughts, "What's your story? Did the _Lostaholic Monster _get you before Yusei saved you?"

Rally caught on what he meant and cringed. "You can say that," he said timidly.

Blister frowned and was about to ask a question when his Blackberry beeped. Rally watched Blister with curiosity as he pressed a button on the screen. The sound of a crowd talking and engines was in the background.

"Hey," he said in a gentle and yet casual voice. "How was your first drag racing experience?"

**_"A bit rusty but not too bad, but it would've been better if you were here," _**came an elegant soft male voice from the speakerphone.

"I know, but right now I'm helping Yusei do some investigations, so I'm not going to come home until late," Blister explained, doing some typing on his laptop.

A gasp of excitement came from the other end of the line. **_"Yusei?! Well, tell him I said hi, for me." _**

"I will," Blister said, chuckling.

**_"See you tonight,"_** the teen said.

"Yeah, be careful on the way home, okay?"

A light chuckle came from the other end. **_"I will and you too." _**

Blister rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

**_"Love you." _**

"Dido," Blister said warmly. He pressed a button on his Blackberry.

Rally was about to ask whom he was talking to but Yusei beat him to the punch. He and Jack had walked into the room moments before, with their helmets under their arms.

"Was that Aero?" He asked. Blister nodded his head. "How is he?"

"He's doing fine," Blister answered, "Trying out drag racing again."

"That's great! Are you his drag race partner like you were before?" Yusei probed. The atmosphere in the room turned cold right then.

"You guys better get going," Blister said, avoiding the question.

Jack shrugged, turned and walked out followed by Rally. Yusei still stood there, determined to know what caused Blister not to be Aero's drag race partner.

Yusei stepped up and took a seat next to Blister. "There's no reason to be scared."

"Who said that I was scared?" Blister responded, a hint of irritation in his voice. The tension in the air spiked.

"Aero still wants you to be his partner," Yusei informed, a hint of anger in his voice.

"And what gave you that idea?" Blister replied. Yusei didn't respond and Blister read the vibes right away. "I know what you're trying to do and I've already made up mind, I'm not going to do drag racing anymore."

Yusei sighed out of disappointment. He got up, turned and walked toward the entrance. He then stopped, looked over his shoulder and glanced at Blister.

"The reason why Aero won't choose anyone else is because he still trusts you despite the horrible drag race accident you both had a couple of years ago." The tension in the room flared up.

Blister let out a grunt of irritation. "Fine, I'll do it. If that's what you insist."

Yusei turned fully, an intense look in his eyes. "I'm not making you do anything. However, Aero does have a right to know what your reasons for not drag racing." _Even though I have a feeling, it's because he doesn't want to hurt Aero again. _

With that last thought, Yusei turned and walked toward the front door.

To Be Continued 


	20. Chapter 20

Heartaches

Chapter 20

By Kellyq

After Jack and Yusei left, Rally sat in a corner and watched Blister work on the computers. The poor boy wanted to help, but he knew better than to intervene. Blister looked over his shoulder to see Rally sitting there with his bag crushed to his torso, and his knees bent up to his chest. Rally's thin arms wrapped under his legs, and his head rested on his knees.

"Why don't you go play with the other kids?" Blister spoke up. "It will keep your mind off whatever happened to you."

"That's not it," Rally said, his voice above a whisper. "I'm more worried about Yusei than anything else."

Blister couldn't help but smile. "You don't have to worry about Yusei. Jack won't let anything happen to him."

"I'm sure, but Rudger seems like one of those who likes to prey on people before he hurts them," Rally explained, remembering the look Rudger had when he stared at Yusei.

Blister frowned. _Hmm, _he thought. "You just gave me a good idea." Rally blinked a few times, and watched the older man do some typing. Blister 'hmmed' again when he was done.

Rally continued to watch Blister type and transfer from his computer to Yusei's. After a moment of silence, Rally spoke up. "Uhh … how did you meet Yusei?"

Blister stopped typing and looked over his shoulder. "I met Yusei and Jack after a horrible drag racing accident. I turned out okay, but my partner spent 8 months in the hospital," he explained.

Rally nodded his head. "Was that your partner you were talking to a few moments ago?"

Blister went back to the keyboard. After a few moments of silence, he stopped, reached into his pocket, turned fully and tossed his wallet over to Rally. He caught it and stared down at the cover. It was a picture of Blister and Aero. Aero had dark orange hair that spiked off to the side, and honey brown eyes that sparkled with kindness and compassion.

Rally had to admit that Aero was good looking. "Yusei and Jack helped you two get back together?"

Blister turned and started to type once more. After a moment, he stopped, turned again and extended his hand. Rally got up, walked over to him, and handed the wallet back. "Why don't you go play with the other kids."

All Rally did was nod his head. He turned, walked over to his bag put the strap over his shoulder, and walked out.

* * *

Carly stepped out of the fitting room, a blush on her cheeks. She had on a black tank top with a shawl. The tight leather shorts went past her hips, and the boots went to her knees. Misty, who was standing there, had to admit that Carly looked delicious. Carly stared at her own reflection.

"What do you think?" Misty murmured. She took a gentle hold of Carly's hair, liking the texture as she ran her fingers through soft silky strands.

"I ... It looks fine, but where are my glasses? I can't see without them."

"Do the contacts I gave you not work?" Misty asked.

Carly bit her lip and her eyes shifted and looked at Misty's refection. "It's not that I'm ungrateful that you're being nice to me," she commented. "I was thinking of Jack, and comparing myself to Yusei. He's nothing but a homeless street boy. In some ways, I'm no different from him, but he chose Yusei over me."

By this point, Misty's expression darkened with hate as she brushed Carly's hair. _Jack, I'll make you regret shattering Carly's heart!_

* * *

Kiryu looked over his shoulder to see Crow rubbing his head as if he had a headache. Kiryu pocked Crow on the cheek, getting his attention. He glanced at Kiryu to see him doing the same gesture.

Crow frowned. "Do you have a headache, or something?" he asked.

Kiryu shook his head, reached out and pocked his friend on the forehead. "Bad," he said, rubbing his head and making the same facial expression, and then poking Crow's head again.

He blinked a few times, and it took him a moment for to understand what Kiryu was trying to say. Crow was about to say that he had a migraine, when Yusei and Jack walked in. Kiryu's face lit up and he reached out for Yusei.

"Yuse," Kiryu spoke up. He mimicked the same movements Crow was doing a moment ago and pointed at him. "Crow. Head." Yusei glanced at his red-haired friend.

Crow sighed. "I have a headache. I'll be right back."

Yusei stepped up and placed a hand on Crow's shoulder. "Why don't you take a break." He then glanced at his boyfriend. "Why don't both of you go have some fun. I'll handle things from here."

Kiryu watched the whole thing with curiosity. He wasn't the only one who was watching the scene, Martha, who stood at the doorway, was watching too. She cleared her throat. Everyone turned their heads to see her standing there.

"I'm glad to see you guys together," she explained. She walked in. "I remember how you four used to play together." Martha's eyes then shifted to Yusei and Jack. "Especially you two. And I hope you're both behaving yourself." Yusei caught on what she meant, and saw a teasing glint in Martha's eyes. He squirmed a little and a childish pout made its way to his face. Martha laughed. She stepped up and patted Yusei's back. "You know that I'm just playing around. You are a good kid, and one of my favorites!"

Laughter filled the room, and when Kiryu joined in, they stopped and stared at him. A light blush made its way to Kiryu's cheeks as he looked shyly at them. Crow couldn't help but walk over to Kiryu and hug him.

To Be Continued …


	21. Chapter 21

Heartaches

Chapter 21

By Kellyq

Crow, Jack, and Yusei walked out of the hospital. Memories started to resurface when they were kids. Even though they were all orphaned, due to different reasons, they were all going to remain close. Yusei couldn't help but feel grateful and humble for having such great friends and loving people in his life. Jack especially. Now that Yusei thought back on it, the blonde-haired teen always took care of him ever since he could remember…

**_A baby's cry echoed though the orphanage as Martha walked in holding bundle in her arms. She stared at the small infant in her arms. The infant was Yusei. _**

**_Martha smiled and rocked the baby. "It's okay," she soothed. "No one's going to hurt you." _**

**_"Martha … what's going on?" came Jack's voice. The three-year-old toddler stood there, rubbing his right eye. Martha eyed them both. She knelt down so Jack could have a better look. He stepped and peered down at Yusei. He reached out and took Yusei's tiny hand. "Hey, don't cry. You're safe now." _**

**_Yusei stopped and looked up at Jack and they stared at each other in the eyes. Jack smiled and he noticed that Yusei was staring at him with interest and curiosity in them. _**

**_Martha smiled. "Do you want to hold him while I make some phone calls?" _**

**_Jack nodded his head and followed Martha to the living room. Jack sat on the couch as Martha had him position his arm. Martha leaned over and placed Yusei in Jack's arms, making sure that he was supporting the baby's head. Martha watched for a moment to make sure that both boys were comfortable with each other. Martha nodded her head and turned when Jack spoke up after staring at the baby. _**

**_"What's his name?" _**

**_Martha turned and smiled at the sight. She had to admit that they were cute together. "It's Yusei." _**

**_Jack stared down at the baby. "Yusei, huh?" A cooing sound came from the back of Yusei's throat. A smile made its way to Jack's lips, feeling the need to look after him, and protect him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jack, and I'm going to take care of you." _**

**_Yusei stared at him with big innocent eyes that held purity and kindness. Martha watched for a moment to see that Yusei was safe in Jack's arms and she vowed to make sure that were friends. _**

**_ Crow and Kiryu came shortly after. Once the four had known each other, they formed a bond and called themselves, Team Satisfaction. _**

By this point, they were making their way to the racetrack. When they got there, Aero was helping with registration. He looked up and smiled shyly at Yusei and his friends.

Yusei smiled back and pushed his bike over, then pulled his gloves off. Aero did the same and their fingers laced together. "Hey."

Aero nodded his head. "I was hoping that you guys would drop by. When I talked to Blister, it sounded like you guys weren't going to come."

"We weren't at first, but we figured that we had time to do that," Yusei explained. By this point, Jack and Crow had pushed their motorcycles passed them. Yusei looked back at Aero, glad that he could have a private talk with him without Jack scaring Aero with his intimidating vibes. "Besides, I want to talk to you alone."

Concern flashed across Aero's eyes. "If it's regarding him not wanting to be my drag racing partner, don't worry about it." He paused for a moment, before continuing. Yusei watched him closely to see a soft glint in his eyes. "Blister and I talked about it already …" Aero paused again when he noticed that Yusei's expression darkened. A frown made its way to Aero's face. "You didn't yell at Blister, I hope." Yusei looked the other way. Aero caught on with the vibes and the look. His expression softened as he rubbed his thumb along Yusei's Knuckles, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for trying to help," Aero murmured. "But if Blister's not ready yet, then I'll have to wait, and I have no problem doing that."

All Yusei did was nod his head, grabbed his gloves and veered his motorcycle toward the racetrack. Aero sighed, with a troubled look on his face as he watched Crow and Jack interact with Yusei. _I know that you love making people happy and putting everyone else ahead of yourself, but you should take a break from everything like you are doing now, and have some fun. _A smile made its way to Aero's lips when saw them start to race around the track.

To Be Continued …


	22. Chapter 22

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Heartaches

Chapter 22

By Kellyq

A tiny mechanical spider made its way through the hospital-parking garage. It stopped and scanned the area. It spotted a motorcycle cop slowly pulling up. It watched the cop park his bike. The officer was Trudge. He pulled off his helmet, grumbling under his breath.

"That street slut better be grateful for what I'm doing for him."

The spider scurried toward him, seizing an opportunity to get into the hospital. Trudge straightened out his collar to his black trench coat, and made his way in. The spider shot out a web in the officer's direction. The end of the web stuck to the back of Trudge's coat, and with a light tug, the spider sailed gracefully in the air without detection. It managed to stick itself to the back of Trudge, when the officer started to walk into the hospital. The spider crawled up Trudge's back and peered over his shoulder, scanning. It noticed that Trudge was heading toward the front desk. The spider turned and crawled down the officer's back and jumped off. It crawled behind the desk to wait.

The nurse looked up. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Trudge. I'm an officer ..."

"Oh, that's right," the nurse interrupted, getting straight to the point. "You're here to look after that patient who fell down the stairs. He's on the third floor."

Trudge nodded his head. The spider peered from behind the desk and watched the officer walk toward the elevators. It then decided to scurry after the police officer, barely making it to the elevator. The spider watched Trudge press the button for the third floor. It backed behind him and jumped on his coat.

The door opened and Trudge walked out, reading the names. He came to the last door that had no name. _This has to be it, _Trudge thought, noticing that the door partly ajar. He peered in to see Kiryu sitting upright in bed and Martha standing at the end of the bed, pushing his legs.

"Come on, Kiryu. I need you to push against my arms," Martha ordered.

_Now is a good time as ever, _Trudge thought, knocking on the door. Martha sighed, stepped back and walked up, opening the door further. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Kiryu has Restless Leg Syndrome," Martha explained. She turned and went back to the end of the bed. "And I'm trying to exhaust his legs so he can sleep."

The spider scanned the scene for a moment, turned and jumped off Trudge's shoulder and scurried out of the room. The officer walked up and watched Martha put her hands on both of Kiryu's feet, having him push against her arms.

"I'll be around if you need anything," Trudge said, not even caring. He turned and walked out.

* * *

Carly found herself standing in front of Misty's Condo. She blinked, wondering how they ended up here. The sun was setting, and Carly couldn't make out the color of the Condo. On top of that, Misty had a protective hold around her. "Uh … Misty, what are we doing here?"

Amusement flashed across Misty's eyes. "I was going to show you where I live, remember? And you were going to show me where you live, right?"

Carly squirmed a little. _Why does she want to know everything about me? I'm a nobody! When she finds out, she'll just toss me to the side like Jack did._ "Actually, Misty, I need to get home." She pulled out of Misty's hold, turned to face her and bowed. "Thanks for the nice outing and new clothes."

Misty's expression softened. "I can have my butler take you home."

Carly looked over Misty's shoulder to see the butler opening the side door for her. "Uh …." Carly's adjusted her gaze back to Misty. "I can get back home myself."

"I'd feel better if my butler took you home instead of riding the bus all by yourself," Misty said, taking Carly's hand and leading her to the limo. She stepped inside and sat down just before Misty closed the door. "Make sure nothing happens to Carly, is that clear?"

* * *

Yusei pulled his motorcycle off to the side and the others did the same. A warm gust of wind glided past them.

Crow stretched his arms and let out a satisfied sigh. "That felt good!" He put his hands back on the handlebars. "Anyways, I need to get back to orphanage. The little tikes are probably wondering where I have been for the past few days."

Yusei smiled. "I did drop by and I told them you're doing fine." A kind look made its way to Crow's face, but dropped when Yusei's expression changed. "The reason why I was there was because there was a boy named Rally who needs a safe place to stay until Jack and I find out who raped him."

Crow nodded his head. "What does he look like?"

"He's dressed up like girl," Jack said bluntly. "He has curly-red hair and hazel-green eyes."

"I'll see what I can do for him," Crow said, starting up the engine. "Talk to you guys later!" He veered his motorcycle toward the exit, leaving a trail of dust and carbon monoxide lingering in the air.

After the dust cleared, Yusei and Jack glanced at each other. "I think he has the right idea. Why don't we head back and finish what we started," Yusei suggested.

A seductive smirk made its way to Jack's lips, pleased that his boyfriend was ready to continue with what they started before Kiryu ended up in the hospital.

To Be Continued …


	23. Chapter 23

Heartaches

Chapter 23

By KellyQ

When Yusei and Jack got back to his condominium, he immediately started to ravish him right there on the floor. Jack bit his neck, and trailed his hand down Yusei's sides where his cell phone was attached to his hip. Jack wasn't going to have any interruptions this time.

"Jack," Yusei moaned out, seeing what his boyfriend was going to do. "We need to keep it on just in case something happens." He tried to reach for the phone, but Jack kept his phone away from his fingertips.

"They'll live," Jack said singlemindedly, leaning in and kissing Yusei's neck, feeling his boyfriend shiver with need. "Besides, I know that you'd rather not have any interruptions ether, right?"

Yusei looked over his shoulder when he heard light footsteps coming toward the door. A playful smile made its way to his lips, knowing who was going to come in, and he was going to use it to his advantage. "Actually, Jack, we're going to be interrupted right now."

As if on cue, the door opened and Mina stepped in with Akiza by her side. Jack froze for a second, slowly looked over his shoulder and saw them standing there. Mina had a blush on her pale cheeks and Akiza looked amused. Yusei seized the opportunity to take Jack's cell phone out of his hand, slither from underneath him and bite his ear to get his attention.

"You can pound me into the mattress after I make sure Rally's okay," Yusei murmured seductively, a playful glint in his eyes.

He rose to his feet, turned and walked down the hallway to Jack's room, and closed the door behind him. Before he did, he mocked Jack to come after him. Violet eyes narrowed as he got to his feet and turned, stomping his way toward his room like a child. Jack was definitely going to pound his boyfriend's ass into the mattress for the little stunt he just pulled.

Akiza and Mina still stood there after two minutes. The young housekeeper felt bad that she walked in right at what seemed like an important moment.

Akiza eyed her friend and lightly nudged her. "Don't feel bad," she said, getting Mina's attention. "What Yusei did was the right thing." _And __the look in his eyes definitely showed that he was in a kinky mood, _Akiza thought, shaking her head.

She knew, from experience, when her ex-boyfriend was in certain moods and it was a good thing. Not that Akiza was complaining about her current boyfriend – Sayer – he just took things a little slower than she would like.

* * *

Rally looked out the window when he heard the sound of a motorcycle. He bit his lip, hoping that it was either Yusei or Jack. Instead, it was a teen with red bushy hair that spiked out liked a porcupine, and a black cloth around his head to keep his hair up. In the middle of his forehead was a tattoo in the shape of an "M." The earrings he had on both ears were in the shape of bolts to a wrench. The look in Crow's eyes was hazel green with a lot of personality, and the shapes of his eyebrows were like question marks. The color of Crow's shirt was orange, and to top off his style, he had on fingerless gloves and dark blue jeans with knee high combat boots.

All the kids had run out to greet Crow, bombarding him with questions. Rally watched from where he was standing for a moment and then he remembered that teen was one of Yusei's closest friends. Rally turned and made his way to the front door and stopped when he was five meters away.

Crow looked up to see him standing there with his hands clasped in front of him. Rally tried to smile, but nervousness got the best of him. Crow smiled and walked up and extended his hand. "I'm Crow, and you must be Rally. It's nice to meet you." Rally nodded his head and shook Crow's hand, when his cell phone made a certain sound. He straightened up, pulled out his phone, and smiled. Crow eyed Rally for a moment, and pressed a button. "Hey, there, Yuse," Crow said, knowing that if he said his friend's name, Rally's faciall expression would change. It worked.

**_"How's Rally?"_**

Crow smiled. "He's right here." He then knelt down and rotated his cell phone for Rally. "Go ahead and say something."

"Uh … hi, Yusei …"

**_"Are the other kids treating you alright?" _**Yusei asked.

"Yeah I'm okay," Rally answered, feeling a little more relaxed. "But what about you? Nothing's happened to you so far, right?"

**_"Trust me,"_**came Jack's voice instead of Yusei's, carrying a hint of sarcasm. By this point, most of the kids had crowded around, eager to hear what Jack had to say. **_"If hear about anyone hurting Yusei, they will have to deal with my fist." _**That got all the kids to laugh.

**_"Jack!" _**came Yusei's voice and a thump was heard from the other end. **_"Sorry about that, he's needy at the moment. Anyways, I need to go, and behave yourself, okay?" _**

Rally smiled. "I will."

Crow smiled as well. "And I'll make sure that nothing happens." He pressed a button on his cell phone, and put it back in his pocket.

Luna stepped out of the house and walked up. She had her full attention on Rally. "We want to be your friend." He gazed at the other kids and they nodded their heads.

"These kids won't hurt you," Crow reassured. "They're well behaved and know better than to judge you by your appearance." He eyed all of them. "Right?"

They all nodded their heads, giving him a reassuring looks. Luna took Rally's hand and guided him inside with the others following close behind.

To Be Continued ...


	24. Chapter 24

Heartaches

Chapter 24

By KellyQ

Jack gently yanked his cell phone out of Yusei's hand, took hold him by the shirt and pushed him onto the bed. It didn't take long before Jack stripped Yusei of his clothes. They stared at each other for a moment until Yusei flipped them over, and he was on top of Jack, hovering over him like a cat. The blonde-haired teen wrapped his arms around him, and he pulled himself and Yusei to the middle of the bed. A smirk made its way to Yusei's lips. He took his left hand and placed it on Jack's hip and the other hand on his chest. Yusei pushed Jack down, and rocked their hips together.

"Does the king want me to help take care of a few things?" Yusei murmured, feeling like a slut. He always felt that way when he was alone with his boyfriend.

Jack grinned, remembering how he always liked to be referred as the prince when he was little, and as time went on, he wanted to be referred as _the king_. Yusei had no problem with any of that. He always admired Jack for his strength, strong personality, and being talented in everything he did. Jack watched his boyfriend for a moment, and decided to spank him.

Yusei narrowed his eyes, arched his back and leaned in and bit Jack's neck. It wasn't long before moans came from the back of Jack's throat. Yusei smiled to himself and he started to strip Jack of his clothes. The blonde-haired teen kept a firm hold of his boyfriend's hips, as Yusei's hands trailed up and down his chest, liking the feel of Jack's abs through his fingers. Smugness made its way to Yusei's lips as he bent down and started to lick Jack's chest, making sure that every sensitive spot got special treatment.

"Yusei …" Jack moaned feeling aroused. "Since when did you become good at this?"

A seductive smirk made its way to Yusei's lips as he licked his way up Jack's chest, and stopped when he reached his ear. "I've learned it from the best."

* * *

Once inside, Luna led Rally to her room that she shared with her twin brother. Leo, at the moment, was playing a game on his Nintendo DS, tilting it every so often. He glanced up and smiled.

"Do you know how play games or is playing dollies more your thing?" he asked.

"What type of game are you playing?" Rally asked, trying not to sound offended, and avoiding the question entirely. He walked up and sat across from Leo. Luna watched for a moment, before she decided to leave.

"It's a car racing game," he answered, handing the DS over. Rally took it and stared at for a moment. It didn't take long before he figured out the controls. Leo watched with shock. "For someone who acts all girly, you sure know how to play a wicked game!"

Rally flushed with embarrassment and his gaze shifted to the left. "I'm not a bitch," he muttered under his breath.

Leo pulled back with confusion. "What are you talking about? I didn't say that! All I said was that you play a good game! Not even my sister knows how to play! All she's good at is playing dollies, makeup, and dress-up," Leo explained. He paused in his rambling for a moment before he continued. "Now, don't get me wrong. Luna's a great sister, and I love her with all my heart and she's smart--we just have different tastes."

All Rally did was nod his head, forgetting the Nintendo DS and placing it to the side. He still didn't make eye contact with Leo. He grabbed his toy, got up and walked over to the desk. Leo grabbed another game, turned, and made his way back over to Rally. He sat down, plucked the racing game out and inserted the new one.

"This is my sister's game," Leo said.

"And who said that you could touch it?" came Luna's voice, as she came in suddenly from the other room. She walked up and yanked the whole DS out of Leo's hand.

"Luna! Rally was going to play that!" Leo exclaimed.

She glanced at Rally. "You were?"

It took a moment for him to respond. "He just grabbed the game, saying that it was yours," Rally said quietly.

"Do you like to model in front of people?" Luna asked, choosing her words carefully.

Rally cringed at the thought, remembering his own experiences of doing that himself. It was never fun. He ended up being sexually harassed.

Luna watched him for a moment. "I'll take that as a no. And that's okay." Rally sighed of relief.

"Then what is your hobby?" Leo asked.

Rally relaxed a little. "I do like to play games, work on fixing things, and help people out when they're in trouble."

"You mean like a detective, right?" Leo asked. "That's cool."

* * *

When Misty had sent her butler to take Carly home, she gave the driver directions to her apartment. When they got there, the manager was waiting for them. He was a short stocky man with dark short hair, casual business outfit, and a starting of the mustache. Carly groaned, knowing what he wanted.

"I'll give you the rent money when I get it."

"You said that last month," the manager said roughly, not even noticing Misty's butler.

The butler watched closely, noting how she was being treated so he could report it to his mistress. Just at that moment, his cell phone went off, and that got Carly and the manager's attention.

**_"Is Carly home safely?" _**Misty asked.

"I'm afraid there's a little trouble with Miss Carbine's manager," the butler shared.

**_"Put him on the phone,"_** Misty ordered. The butler nodded and handed the phone over and the manager.

He yanked the phone and put it his ear. "Mr. Pitts here, what do you want?"

**_"This is Misty Lola, and I hear that there's trouble regarding a tenet named Carly Carbine?" _**The older woman asked, in a strict tone.

Mr. Pitts straightened up. "She hasn't been paying her rent, and if she can find the money, she can stay, and if not, I'll have no choice but kick her out."

Carly's mouth dropped in surprise. "Oh, come on! Give me one more chance! I'll have the money …"

**_"How much does Carly need?" _**Misty asked.

Mr. Pitts narrowed his eyes, remembering who Misty was. "She owes 12 hundred in back up rent."

**_"Consider it done. The money will be sent to you by tomorrow," _**Misty informed.

To Be Continued ...


	25. Chapter 25

Heartaches

Chapter 25

By Kellyq

"Ah, there you are," came Crow's voice. He walked in the room to see the twins and Rally sitting on the floor playing Monopoly. He peered over their shoulders and scanned the board. "Who has the most land?"

"I do," Luna answered.

"I have most of the railroads," Leo informed.

Crow beamed. "How about you, Rally?"

"I haven't bought anything yet," he answered. "I keep on landing on Luna's property and having to pay a fine."

Crow chuckled. "Luna's a smart kid, so I'd be careful if I were you when it comes to games." Rally nodded his head. "Anyways, I came in to say that it's time for lights out."

Leo groaned. "Do we have to? It's only..." he paused to glance at the desk where the digital clock sat. It read 10:00. "What? Whoa! I didn't know."

Rally watched them pack the game back into its box. The twins walked out leaving Rally alone with Crow. "How do you like it here?" Crow finally asked.

"It's...okay," Rally answered quietly.

Crow gave him a reassuring smile. "Would you feel better to know that Yusei, Jack, Kiryu, and I grew up in this house?"

Rally perked up right away. "Jack and Yusei have known each other for a long time?"

"As far as I know, yes," Crow answered.

By this point, the twins were making their way back to the room to overhear what Rally and Crow were talking about. They too, wanted to know more about Jack and Yusei.

"C-can you tell me how long they have been going out?" Rally asked nervously.

Crow chuckled. "The way how they ended up together wasn't really romantic, but they've been going out for about four years."

Rally nodded his head, satisfied with the answer. Crow watched the boy smile and look out the window. It was obvious that Rally was planning something. Crow shook his head with amusement in his eyes, knowing that Jack and Yusei weren't going to tell Rally the complete story, or just say that they've been together for a long time.

* * *

When the butler left, Mr. Pitts glanced at Carly for a moment. "I'd be careful if I were you. I heard a rumor about that Misty Lola chick. She caused her brother to go insane and killed himself."

Behind Carly's spiral glasses, her eyes widened. It was hard to picture that, but she dismissed it, saying that she was going to her room. Mr. Pitts eyed her for a moment.

"What about that Mr. Atlus fellow? Didn't you say that you were trying to go out with him?"

Carly stopped abruptly, her heart thumping painfully in her chest. She slumped a little and looked strate ahead. "He doesn't care about me the way I care about him, and I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong."

Mr. Pitts raised a brow. "That's a bummer. He seemed like a nice fellow. Anyways, just be careful around Misty." He turned and walked out the door, leaving her standing there to think about things.

To Be Continued ...


	26. Chapter 26

Heartaches

Chapter 26

By KellyQ

After Akiza left, Mina walked past Jack's room and stopped. She smiled to herself, knowing that things will either get better or change. She walked into her own room and closed the door. Mina leaned against it for a moment before she started to get ready for bed and when she awoke in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, she noticed Yusei at the kitchen table working on what looked like a damaged cell phone.

Mina blinked several times. She couldn't help but stare at Yusei's body since he was only wearing his boxers. Mina had to admit that Yusei had a good-looking figure.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Yusei asked quietly, not even pausing to look at the woman.

Mina snapped out of her thought, not meaning to be caught gazing at him. "N-no! I was just getting some water." She walked over to the cabinet, got her cup, filled it up, then turned and walked out.

Before she walked out, Yusei watched her for a moment and noticed that Mina was blushing the whole time. A light teasing smile made its way to his lips, knowing that Mina was one of those people who was open minded. Yusei knew on some level what she was thinking when it came to his relationship with Jack and what the blonde-haired teen wanted. The expression on her face was all too clear when she and Akiza walked in earlier.

_ "Mina?" _came Jack's voice, snapping him back to reality. "_Where's Yusei?" _

_ "Uh..he's in the kitchen," _Mina replied.

Yusei looked up to see Jack walk in, dressed in his blue robe. Mina bit her lip, wondering if she should listen in. _No. I need to respect their privacy, _she thought, walking into her own room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Once Crow got Rally settled in his room and into bed, the red-haired teen walked into the kitchen to see Blister getting ready to leave. He paused and eyed Crow to see a distant look in his eyes.

"What got you to hit rock bottom?" Blister asked.

Crow sighed and walked over to the window and stared out. "Just thinkin' ..."

"I may not know Yusei as well as you do, but I wouldn't worry about things all too much," Blister reassured, heaving his bag onto the table and placing his laptop in it.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Crow responded. "It's Kiryu ... he's in a lot of pain and I feel so helpless ..."

"I know how you feel on some level," Blister responded, referring to what happened to him and Aero. He placed the strap on his right shoulder. "Don't be too hard on yourself ... we're doing what we can."

With that, Blister walked out, leaving Crow with his thoughts.

* * *

The tiny mechanical spider made its way into Kiryu's room, and watched him shifted uncomfortably in the hospital bed. After Martha had left to get some meds for him, he continued to shift around, feeling his legs move on their own accord. Kiryu moaned a little, feeling sore. The spider scurried under the bed when footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Trudge peered in to see that Kiryu looked a little tired and fragile. He walked up to see that his legs were tangled up within the sheets.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Trudge asked, dismissing the fact that Kiryu had brain damage and some times had bad seizures. "Do you want me to remove the sheets or what?" Trudge continued to watch and he decided to pull the sheets back. Just as he did that, Kiryu started to twitch and shake. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and saliva formed at the corner of his mouth. Trudge frowned. "Hey, stop that, or you're going to hurt yourself!"

Without thinking, Trudge reached out and tried to hold Kiryu still. By this point, the spider had scurried to the other side of the room and made its way to the security camera and hooked itself to it. Before Trudge knew it, he was pulled back by another security guard and a nurse checking to see if Kiryu was alright.

"Hey, what's going on?" Trudge asked, confused why he was pulled back.

"I was going to ask you the same thing!" the nurse snapped. "Where you trying to take advantage of him or something?"

"Wha ... what? I was not! I just came in to check up on him and he started to twitch and shake," Trudge explained. "And that's when you guys came in!"

"What's going on?" came Martha's voice. They turned to see her standing there with a disapproving look.

"This officer tried to take advantage of this poor patient!" the nurse explained.

Martha eyed the whole thing and sighed. "What happened, Trudge?"

"Nothing! I just came in and he started to twitch and shake, so I tried to stop him from hurting himself!" Trudge explained.

Martha sighed again. "Why don't you go home and get some rest, Trudge," she advised.

The nurse and the security guard stared at Martha for a moment. Trudge looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Did you hear me, Trudge?" Martha said, louder than before.

"Yes, ma'am, I did. I guess you're right. I should be going now," the officer said shyly.

"Good boy," Martha said.

The nurse busied herself making sure that Kiryu was comfortable again as the security guard ushered Trudge to the hospital's front door.

When Martha was sure Kiryu was in good hands for the night, she left, but she couldn't get out of her head a sneaking suspicion that something was going on in that room and she was determined to find out what it was.

To be continued...


	27. Chapter 27

Heartaches

Chapter 27

By KellyQ

Trudge grumbled all the way home, knowing that he didn't do anything. Why me? he thought, entering his own apartment that happened to be a one bedroom. The kitchen and living room were all one. The bathroom was off to the right, and two feet away was the bedroom. Trudge walked to his couch and sat down, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

He wasn't the only one who hadn't gotten that much sleep lately. Carly didn't either. She tossed and turned on her Air Mattress, trying hard to forget what Mr. Pitts said about Misty. She sat up and pulled her laptop next to her. Carly put the computer on her lap and logged onto the internet. She typed in Misty's full name, and her website came up. A picture of Misty flashed across the page. On the side was a video clip of last year's model contest that she had won.

Behind Carly's thick spiral glasses, she watched with envy. She's so beautiful, she thought. Carly shook her head to clear the thought. She scrolled down and read a little of the profile.

"Born in 2015," she read aloud, "her and her younger brother were born into a rich family and she started to model at the age of twelve, while her brother Toby wanted to become a good psychiatrist." Carly paused for a moment. "Interesting," she said to herself as she continued to read, hoping to know what happened to Misty's brother. When she was done, all it said was that he was found dead. "Poor thing," Carly murmured, feeling sympathy for Misty, looking at a small picture of her brother on the webpage. She bit her lip, wondering if she should send a response about the whole thing with Toby. "I wonder if she'll like it better," she wondered aloud, "if I told her that I looked at her website and know about her brother's death, considering what Mr. Pitts told me. That will keep my mind busy with things, so I'm not dwelling on Jack." Then an idea came to her. "Ah! I know! I'll look up Jack and see what his background story is!" Carly giggled. "Am I smart, or what?"

Her hands danced on the keyboard as she typed in Jack's full name, and the internet browser responded with various different sites, some of which were not even related to the Jack she knew.

Carly groaned. "I'm going to be up all night!"

* * *

A beam filtered in Jack's room when the digital clock struck 8 am. Yusei shifted a little, opened his eyes, and slowly realized that he had been moved from the kitchen to the bedroom. Yusei sat up and stared down to notice that he was wearing Jack's blue robe. He turned to see that his boyfriend was not lying next to him. Yusei turned to see that the bathroom door was open. That's when he picked up the atmosphere in the air, and it wasn't good.

Yusei got up, walked out of the room, and made his way into the kitchen to see Mina standing over the sink. He stared at her a moment before he made his presents known.

"Mina ...?" She stiffened. "Where's Jack?"

The young woman lowered her head a little. "Uh … he went to talk to Godwin. He should be back soon."

Yusei continued to study her, noticing that something was up. He didn't like the way her voice sounded hesitant. "Mina?" he probed.

Mina let out a shaky sigh. "Martha called a few moments ago and said that the security camera caught Trudge in Kiryu's room," she tried to explain. That caught Yusei's attention right away. "The nurse thinks that he tried to hurt Kiryu from what they saw on the tape."

It didn't take long for Yusei to figure out why Jack went. He nodded willfully. "Mina," he said in a coaxing voice. She turned to face him. "I want you to go to Trudge and get every detail you out of him. I'm going to get Jack before he starts something."

Mina gave a mute nodded. "Please. Jack wasn't pleased when he got the news," she pleaded softly, watching Yusei walk back to Jack's room to get ready to leave.

* * *

Jack walked down the hallway, burst through the door to Godwin's office, and stopped when he saw what was on the twelve-inch screen mounted on the wall of what happened at the hospital. The older man looked over his shoulder to see Jack standing there, watching.

"How may I help you, Jack?" he asked casually, snapping the blonde-haired teen out of his daze. The screen went blank as Godwin got to his feet and turned to face the blonde-haired teen.

"Don't play stupid!" Jack barked, remembering why he came in the first place. He took a few hostile steps toward his legal guardian, stopping when he was three inches away from Godwin's face. "Why did you choose Trudge? You know how much he likes us!" he said emphasizing the word. "Or was there another reason?" Jack asked.

Godwin closed his eyes, trying to keep his own temper at bay. He wasn't in the mood for Jack's temper. "Jack," Godwin warned. "I don't really have time for this."

"I'm sure ... considering you fuck around all the time!" Jack spat in disgust, referring to Godwin's sex partner, Jeager.

As soon as the name came out of Jack's mouth, he immediately regretted it. Godwin opened his eyes and gave him a hard look. Jack straightened up and pulled back, giving the older man some space that he wanted.

"Trudge will be dealt with for displaying such action when he comes."

As if on cue, footsteps echoed through the hallway and Trudge walked in with Mina by his side.

"Look sir," Trudge said in a rush. "I didn't do anything! He was acting weird and I had to stop him from hurting himself!"

"No wonder why you haven't moved up the ranks, Trudge," came Yusei's voice dripping with sarcasm. They turned to see him standing not too far away. "You still have a stick up your ass."

Trudge was shocked at first, but he quickly recovered and growled. Mina quickly nudged the officer with her elbow. He glanced at her and she shook her head.

"What brings you here, Yusei?" Godwin asked in a sickly kind tone as he moved toward the young teen.

Jack narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of Godwin, making sure that the older man didn't even come near his boyfriend. "You still haven't answered my question."

Silence fill the room as Godwin pinched the bridge of his nose. Yusei watched him turn and walk over to his desk and sat down. After a moment, Yusei stepped up, debating on how he was going to talk to Godwin.

"This has gone on long enough," Yusei finally said in a crisp tone. "It's obvious that you don't have time to really help us ..."

"Have you been keeping your end of the bargain, Jack?" Godwin asked him.

Jack grunted in response. "I've taken her out once so far," he answered quietly looking off to the side.

"Then I'm still keeping my end of the bargain." Godwin then turned his attention to Trudge. "As for you - I'd suggest that you look more closely at what you're doing, is that clear?" Trudge nodded his head. "Anything else before you're all dismissed?" Godwin added.

Everyone remained silent as the group turned and walked out of the office.

To Be Continued…


	28. Chapter 28

Heartaches

Chapter 28

By Kellyq

As soon as the three were out of the room and at the parking lot, Trudge grabbed Yusei by the shirt. "You've got some explaining to do, slut!" he growled, referring to last night's incident.

"Trudge!" Mina scowled harshly, "leave Mr. Fudo alone right now! You don't need to make it worse by yelling at him!"

The officer scuffed and let go of Yusei's shirt and turned his back on them. The tension in the air spiked.

"Jack ..." Yusei finally said. His soft voice got Jack's attention, and he knew that his boyfriend wasn't happy about what just took place. "We're going to have to resort to another way of helping Kiryu."

Mina and Jack studied him for a moment. Trudge glanced over his shoulder and sighed, knowing that Godwin was right about not paying any attention.

"Fine, I'll help anyway I can," Trudge grumbled.

* * *

When Crow heard what happened, he went straight to the hospital. He ran down the hallway and stopped outside Kiryu's room, and let out a sigh of relief. Kiryu was fine. He watched Martha tell a couple of nurses to place him in a wheelchair and one of them was Carly. The other was Akiza. Martha laid a blanket over Kiryu's lap.

"How is he?" Crow asked Martha as he walked in.

Kiryu smiled when he recognized his friend and reached out to lace his fingers with Crow's. He glanced at Kiryu and forced a smile.

The blue-haired teen smiled back. "Kiryu. Crow. Friends," he shared, eyeing everyone, letting go of Crow's hand. "Yus!"

They turned their heads to see Jack, Yusei, Mina, and Trudge standing there. Kiryu shifted a little and put his good arm on the armrest, and he tried to stand. Akiza noticed this and helped support Kiryu while Carly gazed at Jack.

"Carly," she said in a coaxing voice, snapping the young woman out of her thoughts. "Can you help me, please?"

She flinched lightly and turned her attention back to what she was doing. Carly took a gentle hold of Kiryu to help him sit back down. He didn't want to sit down. Kiryu wanted to hug Yusei. The spiky-haired teen noticed this and walked up to hug his friend. Akiza helped Kiryu move his now healed arm that was slightly bent, around Yusei's shoulder as Kiryu managed to put his good arm around Yusei.

Trudge and Jack watched and for the first time, they both understood, understood where Yusei was coming from. The spiky-haired teen slowly helped sit Kiryu down in the wheel chair.

"So, what's the plan?" Yusei asked Martha.

"I'm going to have someone keep Kiryu occupied until we change the layout of the room," she explained. Yusei nodded his head, moved out of the way so that Martha could wheel Kiryu out of the room.

"I can do that," Carly gestured, hoping that if she offered something, Jack would be impressed.

"I'm going to have Akiza look after him," Martha said, declaring her decision.

Carly nodded her head as her thick spiral glasses shined. Behind them, a lot of emotions showed in her green eyes. Kiryu watched her for a moment, reached out, and took Carly's hand and swung their arms back and forth.

"Carly! Carly!" he sang out happily.

Martha smiled and placed her hand on Kiryu's shoulder to get his attention. He glanced at her. "Kiryu, Akiza here," she started to explain, pointing to the cheery red-haired woman. "She's going to take you outside, okay?"

Kiryu eyed Akiza for a moment and unconsciously tightened his grip around Carly's hand. "Carly! Crow!" he ordered shaking his head in disapproval.

"You want them to be with you right now?" Martha asked. Kiryu nodded his head. She sighed. "Okay, I guess they can do that."

* * *

After Kiryu was bundled in warm shirt, Crow wheeled him out followed by Carly. The morning air was crisp and damp, but the sun was out. The three made their way to a bench. The two made sure that Kiryu was facing them before they sat down.

Kiryu glanced at them. "Friends?" he asked pointing at both of them.

Carly and Crow were shocked at first. Carly was the first to regain her composer and smiled. "I don't know your friend here," she informed, pointing at Crow.

Kiryu smiled, shifted a little and took Crow's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Crow. Friend."

Crow chuckled. "We know each other by name, but if you want me to tell her that I'm friends with Yusei, and Jack, then I'll do that."

Carly gasped. "Y-you're friends with Jack - Jack Atlus?"

Crow made a face and Kiryu decided to mimic it. "Well, yeah. He's a childhood friend of mine. Why?"

Awkward tension hung in the air. "Well ... I ... wanted ... you see," Carly stuttered. "I looked Jack up on the net and I couldn't find him ..."

As soon as she said that, Crow burst out laughing.

"Of course not! Jack would rather have things confidential then share his personal life!" He explained, after calming down.

"Most men do," came Misty's voice.

They turned their heads to see her walking up. It took a moment for Crow to recognize her, and when he did, he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her.

"Uh ... hi, Misty," Carly uttered, watching the older woman walk behind the bench and stop right beside her.

Misty bent down to one knee and took Carly's hand. "Has Mr. Pitts caused you anymore trouble?"

"Uh ... no – no he hasn't, and thanks for the help," Carly answered.

Kiryu eyed the whole scene. "Friends?"

Misty ignored him. Carly thought it was rude so she spoke for her. "She's a friend. Misty, this is Kiryu ..."

"I know," the older woman answered, sparing the crippled teen a glance. Misty let go of Carly's hand, rose to her feet. "I came out to really tell you guys that the room is ready."

"Great!" Crow said, getting to his feet. Carly did the same as Crow walked behind the wheelchair and wheeled Kiryu back inside, followed by the others.

To Be Continued...


	29. Chapter 29

Heartaches

Chapter 29

By KellyQ

The three came back to Kiryu's room. The camera that was on the wall was gone, and an extra bed was near the window. Kiryu smiled when he saw that Martha, Yusei and Jack were waiting.

Jack raised a brow when he noticed Misty, and she was giving him a look. This went unnoticed by the others when they helped Kiryu back into bed.

"You must be Jack Atlus," Misty stated. Her voice got everyone's attention.

"And you are?" Jack asked bluntly. He eyed her for a moment, and then he remembered. "You're that chick that caused a lot of problems for Akiza!"

As soon as he said his friend's name, the red-haired woman walked in with some blankets. Misty and Akiza eyed each other for a moment, before Akiza placed the sheets on the bed.

"So ..." Crow spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "What's with the extra bed?"

"I'm going to have someone stay with Kiryu until we find out what happened the other night," Martha explained.

"I would volunteer to be the one," Akiza offered, getting the bed ready, "but Sayer wants me to visit him in prison ..."

The room went silent when the name left her lips. Kiryu glanced around the room wondering why everyone was quiet.

"S-Sayer? Friend?" He inquiered.

By this point Misty had already walked out with Carly trailing behind. Jack also walked out when he saw that he wasn't needed, leaving Akiza, Crow, Kiryu, Yusei, and Martha alone.

Kiryu blinked when he realized that Carly had left. "Crow?" he called out, getting his friend's attention, pointing at the open door. "Carly ..."

"What ... do you want me to go get her?" Crow asked. Kiryu shook his head. "Then what do you want if you don't want me to go get her?"

"I think he wanted her to say goodbye to him and she didn't," Martha concluded. "Is that what you're trying to tell us, Kiryu?" He nodded his head. Martha smiled. "Next time, tell her you want a hug before she leaves."

"Carly!" Kiryu sang out, chuckling.

Crow, Yusei, Akiza, and Martha glanced at each other and smiled.

"Kiryu," Martha spoke up, sitting on the bed, getting his full attention. "Someone is going to stay with you," she explained, pointing to the bed.

Kiryu nodded his head. "Yus!"

"I wish I could," Yusei responded, rubbing Kiryu's bent arm, getting his friend to look at him, "but I can't ..."

Hurt flashed across Kiryu's face. "Friends?" He asked sadly.

"Of course we are, Kiryu!" Yusei reassured. All Kiryu did was nod his head, not making eye contact with his friend.

"Everyone in here is your friend, Kiryu," Martha explained, getting the crippled teen to look at her.

"Yeah!" Crow said, sitting on the bed too. "We all love yea!"

"L-love?" Kiryu murmured, feeling something in his chest. He liked the feeling he got; it made him feel good.

"Well, yeah! I love you!" Crow said without thinking.

Kiryu stared at him for a moment and a smile made its way to his lips. "Kiryu. Love. Crow."

Yusei, Akiza, and Martha watched Crow. He lowered his head and his expression darkened. A sad smile made its way to his lips. Crow knew that Kiryu didn't understand that he just stated how he really felt, and it pained him.

"I do need to get going," Akiza spoke up breaking the silence. "I'll only have a little time to see him."

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Yusei offered, glancing at her.

A soft smile made its way to Akiza's lips. "That's sweet of you, Yusei, but my dad's going to be there."

On cue, a man with rich brown hair walked in. He had a full beard without a mustache, and brown slanted eyes. He wore a fine tuxedo and tie.

"Daddy!" Without thinking, Akiza ran up and hugged her father.

Mr. Izayoi chuckled and gently moved her back so that he could lead her to the car. He held out his arm and she took it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to be there?" Yusei asked again. He didn't feel comfortable having Akiza see her current boyfriend, Sayer.

Just the thought made Yusei's skin crawl. He never liked him at all. As far as he was concerned, Sayer was a greedy self-centered bastard.

Mr. Izayoi gave Yusei a respectful look. Akiza smiled at her ex-boyfriend. "I'll be okay, Yusei. Besides, I need to take responsibility and help Sayer get better."

Yusei sighed. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry, Yusei," Mr. Izayoi reassured. "I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"We better get going, daddy," Akiza urged. "And if it helps, I'll call you, Yusei."

He nodded his willfully, watching the two walk out.

To Be Continued ....


	30. Chapter 30

Heartaches

Chapter 30

By Kellyq

As soon as Misty walked out of Kiryu's room, Carly followed her to her limo. The beautiful model opened the door when Carly finally caught up.

"Misty, wait!" she called out. The older woman turned and smiled. "I ...I uh…have a few questions." Misty nodded her head. "Are … are you friends with Jack?" Misty's expression changed a little. "Right. Stupid question. My other one is … well it's not really a question … I went to your web site last night and it said that your brother – Toby died … What happened?"

"He was in love with the wrong person," Misty explained, looking the other way, closing her eyes.

"He was in love with Akiza," came Jack's Southern crisp accent.

They both turned to see him walking up. Misty took hold of the door and slammed it, giving Jack a hard look. Behind Carly's thick spiral glasses, she watched.

"So ... uh ... what happened?" Carly asked.

She concluded that either something major happened to Toby or Akiza - Carly shivered at the thought. She didn't want to imagine Akiza with a knife in her hand.

"What is it that you want, Mr. Atlus?" Misty asked, avoiding the question about her dead brother all together.

Jack ignored her and turned his attention to Carly. "What are you doing next Friday?"

That grabbed Carly's attention right away. "N-next friday?" She stuttered, wondering if she heard right.

"Well, yeah," Jack said, not in the mood to repeat himself, especially with Misty watching his every move. "I'll even take you to go see a movie or something."

Her face lit up and she blushed, but then her expression changed when she realized something. "I .. would .... but ... I have no money."

Misty opened the door to her limo, sat herself down and reached for her purse. Jack and Carly watched her for a moment. Misty pulled out a 20-dollar bill, moved her purse off her lap and placed it beside her. She then shifted her hips, put her right hand on top of the car door and heaved herself up.

"Here, Carly," Misty said, leaning over the door and handing the money over.

"I was going to pay for the outing," Jack told her, giving her a look.

Misty ignored the comment. "You don't need to make it a cheap outing, Mr. Atlus," she scolded, glancing at Jack like he was dirt. "Carly deserves better than that."

With that, Misty stepped back, and sat back in her limo. _Stupid bitch, _Jack thought watching the limo drive off.

"I'll pick you up at 7, Carly," Jack said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Carly nodded her head and let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. After a moment, Carly dropped to her knees watching Jack walk back into the hospital. He made it as far as the front desk before he heard Crow and Martha talking. He waited until he saw them.

"Where's Yusei?" Jack asked, walking toward them.

"He's with Kiryu right now. He's going to stay until we come back with some of my stuff," Crow explained, "then I'm going to stay here until we find out what's going on."

All Jack did was nod his head and made his way to the elevator. Once on the third floor, he made his way to Kiryu's room to see that he was half asleep and Yusei sitting on the floor. His damaged cell phone was sprawled out right in front of him.

Jack walked in quietly and knelt down in front of his boyfriend. Yusei paused what he was doing and shifted so he was on his knees as he leaned close to Jack's ear.

"I'm going to come home late," Yusei murmured.

"That's okay," Jack whispered back, "I'll just make sure that you'll be punished later."

A teasing smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "Sounds good to me," Yusei murmured again. He pulled back and kissed his boyfriend before Jack rose to his feet, turned and walked out.

To Be Continued ...


	31. Chapter 31

Heartaches

Chapter 31

By Kellyq

An hour after Crow left the Orphanage (to see if Kiryu was alright), Rally woke up. He glanced around, rubbing his right eye with the back of his palm. A smell of breakfast got his attention. He got out of bed and looked down at his blue wrinkled nightgown. Rally took hold of the material and gently pulled down. The fabric straightened out. Rally turned and heaved his bag on the bed. He pulled out a small makeup bag, and plucked out a pocket mirror. Rally opened it up and glanced at himself.

He then plucked out a comb and started to brush his hair. After that was done, he put the two items back. Rally plucked out chapstick (that was strawberry flavor) and put it on.

Once Rally straightened out his nightgown again, he made his way into the kitchen, hoping to see Mina. It was someone else instead. Rally glanced at the person, to see his back turned as he flipped a few pancakes over.

It took a few moments for Rally to recognize the orange hair that spiked off to the side. When he did, his first thought was Aero. A nervous blush made its way to Rally's cheeks when Aero glanced behind and smiled warmly.

"Morning," Aero greeted. "You must be Rally ..."

Before Aero could introduce himself, the front door opened. All the kids who were rummaging about getting ready for the day, hurried in the door. It didn't take long before the kids brought Crow and Martha into the kitchen. Rally's appearance got Martha's attention, and she smiled.

"Good morning, Rally," Crow spoke up, smiling. "Did you sleep okay?" The red-haired child nodded his head. "Oh. This is Martha. She's the boss," Crow added, winking.

By this point, the kids were seated at the table and Aero had put the pancakes on the counter.

"You look ridiculous, Leo!" came Luna's voice. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to go through my stuff!"

They all turned to see the twins walk in. Luna was still in her nightgown, but Leo was wearing one of Luna's pink skirts and blouse. Lipstick was smeared all over his lips, and glitter glistened all over him. Rally raised a brow. He did think Leo didn't look attractive with all the stuff on his face and wearing Luna's clothes.

Martha sighed and shook her head. "That's cute and all, but go wash the makeup off and change."

"That's not fair!" Leo said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Rally. "He gets to wear a dress, and I don't? I should be able to wear one too!"

Everyone stared at him with shock. It took Leo a moment to realize what he had just said. When he did, he glanced at Rally to see humiliation in his eyes and flushed cheeks. Leo looked away before he ran out of the room, feeling bad that he humiliated Rally and himself.

Luna watched her brother run down the hallway. "Leo ..."

Rally got up from his chair, and grabbed a napkin. He made his way down the hallway, and stopped outside the bathroom door. Rally put his hands together in a praying fashion. He reached for the door when Luna's voice stopped him. Rally turned his head to see her running up.

"Is he in there?" Luna asked, catching her breath. Rally nodded his head, a worried expression on his face. Luna reached for the doorhandle and twisted it to realize that it was locked. This alarmed both of them. "Leo! Open up!"

_**"No!" **_came a muffled replay. _**"Just leave me alone!"**_

Luna groaned in annkoyace. "Come on, Leo! Just forget the whole thing happened and let's eat. Everyone's waiting for us."

_**"No! I'm not eating in the same room with Rally!" **_Leo said, shocking both of them.

Rally's eyes glazed over as he stepped back and hurt flashed a cross his face. Automatic anger snapped in Luna, and she pounded on the door sharply. By this point Rally had already ran down the hallway to the room he was staying at.

Martha walked up with Crow and Aero following close behind. "What's going on?" she asked.

Luna sighed. "It's Leo. He's being a total jerk!"

_**"Just leave me alone! I know I screwed up!" **_Came Leo's voice that sounded cracked and shaky.

Luna's anger washed away completely when she realized that her brother was probably crying.

"Leo," Martha said in a coaxing voice. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "You need to come out."

Just before Martha inserted the key, the door handle moved and the door opened. Leo stood there, his eyes down cast, and makeup smeared all over his face. He glanced around notice that Rally wasn't there.

Luna studied her brother's face. "Rally was standing right here when I was trying to get you to come out," she shared. "And you hurt his feelings when you said that you weren't going to sit in the same room with him."

Leo's eyes widened and he hung his head, feeling ashamed of himself. A few tears dripped off his chin and landed on the floor.

"You don't need to cry," Luna pointed out. "Just apologize to Rally. I think he went to his room."

Leo nodded his head. Luna smiled and stepped out of the way for her brother to talk to Rally. He made his way to the room Rally was staying in.

Leo knocked on the door and waited for Rally to answer. After a moment of waiting, he opened the door. Leo lowered his head so that Rally couldn't see his face.

"Uh ... I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings, Rally."

"D-do you need help getting the makeup off?" Rally asked, concluding that Leo didn't mean anything he had said.

That grabbed Leo's attention right away. He looked up and Rally almost stepped back at the sight. Mascara ran down his face and two thin lines of lipstick came down the corners of his mouth.

Rally smiled and took Leo by the wrist and lead him to the bed. Rally sat him down, and heaved the bag on the bed. Leo couldn't help but watch his every move as he pulled out a makeup bag. Rally reached in the bag and plucked out a makeup remover towel bag. He pulled out one sheet and handed the damp cloth over to Leo.

"Thanks," Leo murmured, rubbing the makeup off.

Rally smiled again as he watched Leo scrub his face. "I'm glad that you don't think I'm odd. When you came in just a few moments ago, I didn't think you looked attractive with all that stuff," Rally confessed.

Leo stopped scrubbing his face and stared at Rally. There was still makeup on his face, and Rally couldn't help but want to clean the rest. He took out another towel and wiped off the remains.

"There." Rally put the makeup remover away and pulled out his pocket mirror out. He opened it up and held up in front of Leo.

The turquoise-haired boy glanced at himself, before Rally closed the mirror up. "I must've looked pathetic," Leo said, watching Rally put his items in the bag.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Rally remarked. He turned and walked over to the trash to dispose what was in his hands.

Leo couldn't help but smile to himself, feeling a need to be Rally's friend.

To Be Continued ...


	32. Chapter 32

Heartaches

Chapter 32

By KellyQ

Shortly before Jack left, Kiryu opened his eyes to see Yusei kissing his boyfriend just before he left.

"Yus..." he called out, getting his friend's attention.

Yusei shifted and turned as he got to his feet. He walked up. "Hey there. I didn't wake you, did I? Besides, you should be resting," he said, pulling the covers to his chest.

Kiryu stared at Yusei before he used his good arm to pull Yusei close and kissed him. A familiar taste and feeling came over Kiryu. His body froze and he fell back. Kiryu's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he started to twitch and shake.

Yusei's eyes widened in complete horror. He quickly snapped out of it, and took a gentle hold of Kiryu and turned him over on his side. Yusei angled Kiryu's head down to keep the airway open, and he wouldn't bite his tongue. Yusei's heart contracted in his chest as he rubbed Kiryu's hip and the back of his head until he stopped having the seizure (that lasted 3 seconds).

After Yusei wiped Kiryu's mouth with a Kleenex, he pressed the 'nurse' button. A few moments later, Carly came in with a clipboard clutched in her arm.

"Can you check Kiryu's vitals? He just had a seizure, and I want to make sure he's okay," Yusei asked in a soft tone, glancing at her.

Carly nodded her head. She walked to the table and grabbed her things she would need. Carly turned and walked to the bed, placing the items on the sheets. She adjusted her spiral glasses and put the disposable probe cover on the Ear Thermometer. Yusei watched her check Kiryu's condition and wrote all the stuff down.

"He's okay, but can you tell me what happened - so I can put in his records?" Carly asked, glancing at Yusei. Her glasses shined.

Yusei lowered his head so that she couldn't see his face. His gloved hand clutched the bed sheet. "He kissed me before he had the seizure," Yusei explained quietly.

Carly nodded her head, writing it down. "has he kissed you before?" she asked. Yusei turned his head and his balled fist flexed out, as he didn't say a word. "If he had, then your taste must've triggered something that caused him to have it," she explained.

Yusei nodded as he kept his head down. "Thanks. I'll take care of things from here."

"Are you sure?" Carly asked. Yusei nodded his head. "Okay. If you say so. But don't hesitate to call if there's anything else you need, okay?"

_Man, _Carly thought watching Yusei pull up a chair and sat next to Kiryu. _What a drama queen, _she thought walking out of the room. _Getting worked up over something like that. _She made it halfway down the hallway when she saw Martha and Crow walking up.

Martha blinked. "What's going on?"

"Yusei caused Kiryu to have a seizure," Carly explained.

Crow dropped the duffel bag and darted down the hallway. He stopped in front of Kiryu's room. Martha placed her hands on her hips.

"What happened?" Martha asked, not sounding thrilled.

Carly adjusted her glasses and glanced down at the clipboard. "Yusei said that Kiryu kissed him, and that's what caused him to have a seizure."

"Thanks for letting me know," Martha said. She stepped passed Carly and walked toward Kiryu's room.

Carly turned and watched Martha walk into Kiryu's room. The dark-haired nurse bit her lip. _I wonder what's the big deal?_ She thought. _I'm_ _going to find out! _Carly took her high-heels off and crept to Kiryu's room. She peered in and adjusted her glasses again.

Kiryu was already up and trying to get Yusei's attention. He tried to either rub his arm, or tap him on the forehead.

"Crow. Yus." Kiryu said, pointing to his friend.

Martha walked up to Yusei and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Her touch startled him before Yusei realized that it was Martha. She smiled.

"Why don't you come with me and we can get something to eat," Martha said in a soft motherly tone, rubbing his shoulders.

Carly pulled back from the door and went to pick up her shoes. Yusei and Martha walked out a moment later. The two made their way down the hallway.

"Everything is going to be okay, Yusei," Martha said, rubbing his back.

The two were walking into the cafeteria, not even realizing that Carly had followed them. She had disguised herself. Carly wore a sock hat, a yellow stripped shirt, trousers, contacts, and sandals. _That's good I didn't miss them, _Carly thought, seeing them sitting at a table. Yusei had his forehead resting against his clasped fingers. Martha sat across from him. She also had a sad expression on her face.

Carly made her way to get some coffee. After she poured herself some, and added some creamer, Carly grabbed a newspaper. She glanced around, hoping to sit near Martha and Yusei. There was one. Carly walked over and sat down. She folded out the newspaper and held it up in front of her face, keeping her ears open.

"It wasn't your fault, Yusei," Martha stated.

"I know ... but I can't help but feel responsible for letting Kiryu think it was okay to kiss me," Yusei said quietly.

"Was Jack with you when it happened?" Martha asked.

It took a moment for Yusei to answer. Carly and Martha waited for him to replay.

"I ... I thought Kiryu was a sleep when Jack came in. I told him that I was going to be late, and before Jack left, I kissed him goodbye," Yusei explained quietly, trying to keep his voice calm.

Martha nodded her head, understanding. She reached out and took Yusei's hand; to her surprise, he was trembling. Martha got up and walked over to the other side. She still held Yusei's hand as she pulled him sideways so that he could rest the side of his face between her breasts. Her warmth and motherly touch distracted Yusei from the mental pain he felt of guilt, but it only lasted for a brief moment.

"I'm sorry..." Yusei murmured, pulling away.

Martha sighed. She stepped back, let go of Yusei's hand and pulled on his ear. Yusei yelped in shock and pain. He glanced at her for a moment, wondering why she was pulling on his ear when he knew that he hadn't done anything wrong.

"I don't ever want you to apologize for something that you didn't cause, okay?" Martha lectured in a strict motherly tone. Yusei nodded his head quickly. Martha let go of his ear and smiled. "Good. Now come on, I'm sure that Kiryu is really confused why you were not doing anything."

Yusei nodded his head again, got up and followed her out of the cafeteria.

To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33

Heartaches

Chapter 33

By KellyQ

A little after Yusei and Martha left, Kiryu almost had another seizure. Crow sat next to Kiryu and held him close as he rubbed his back. Strange sounds came from the back of Kiryu's throat, like he was hiccupping. He smacked his lips together as his shoulders twitched. It didn't take long for Kiryu to calm down and lean against Crow's chest. Unfocused golden eyes slowly blinked and a familiar smell reached his nose and Kiryu realized that he was leaning up against Crow.

"Hey," Crow murmured, rubbing Kiryu's back. Golden eyes looked up and Kiryu smiled. Crow reached out wiped the saliva off Kiryu's chin. "Are you tired?"

Kiyru blinked before he nodded his head. Crow slid off the bed and assisted Kiryu to lie down in the sheets comfortably.

Yusei and Martha came in just at that moment. Kiryu reached for Yusei. Their hands came in contact as Yusei moved to the side of the bed. He let go of Kiryu's hand and gently collected the crippled teen in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Kiryu," Yusei murmured, rubbing the back of his head tenderly.

Amber eyes blinked. Even thought Kiryu didn't understand what was going on, he smiled and closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of Yusei holding him.

"Yus. Good. Friend," Kiryu said, feeling warm inside.

Yusei's heart contracted in his chest for a moment before he smiled and pulled back. "You too, Kiryu," Yusei said quietly, helping him lie down.

Kiryu smiled again and yawned as Crow and Yusei pulled the covers up.

"I'll stay here while you help Crow get some more stuff, Yusei," Martha said.

He nodded his head and followed his friend out. Crow glanced at Yusei as they made their way out to the parking lot.

"Everything's going to be okay," Crow reassured, placing a comforting hand on Yusei's shoulder.

By this point, they were making their way to Martha's blue minivan, and Crow's black motorcycle with yellow streaks parked next to it. When they got closer, Crow noticed a man eyeing his bike. He was tall and slender. The spandex he wore was yellow and black. The gloves he had on were black. The man also had on his yellow helmet, so no one could identify his face.

Quick anger welled up in Crow. "Back off, man!" He dashed forward, getting the stranger to step away from his motorcycle.

Yusei frowned. "Easy, Crow. I don't think he's going to do anything to your bike."

The stranger snickered and pulled off his helmet. He had nice tan skin, thin eyebrows that were in a shape of a question mark. His slanted light brown-eyes were piercing. He also wore black Prada Pr 01MV glasses. His red hair was shaved to the point that he had a buzz cut, save for the orange flaming mohawk that ran down the middle of his head.

"Long time no see, Crow," the teen said. A smirk made its way to his lips.

Half of Crow's expression darkened. "What do _you_ want, _Bolger_?"

He raised a brow. "I just came here for my usual check-up when I noticed _Robert's _motorcycle parked here. So, what's up with you?"

Crow's expression didn't change. "A friend of mine fell," he answered in an unfriendly tone.

Bolger raised a brow. "I'm sorry to hear that." He glanced at his watch. "I do need to get going. Maybe we can meet up some time, and you can tell me all about it."

"I'd rather you leave me alone, okay?" He requested, throwing intense vibes at him.

Bolger raised his arms in defense. "Okay, no reason to get all paranoid." He turned and walked away. "Nice talking to you!" Bolger called over his shoulder.

Yusei narrowed his eyes and watched Bolger walk away before he turned his full attention back to his friend. Crow turned and opened the side door to the van roughly. Yusei continued to watch his friend pull a few more bags toward him.

"Crow ..." Yusei called out softly. He placed his hand on his shoulder, but Crow smacked his hand away. Yusei was a little surprised by the sudden outbreak. He eyed his friend and decided not to upset Crow any further than he had.

"Sorry ..." Crow muttered, hovering over his things, playing with one of the straps to his bag nervously. Yusei nodded his head and sat next to him. "I ... wasn't expecting to run into him after what happened between Robert and I."

Yusei moved the bags and Crow turned around and sat down.

"Do you remember a while back when Martha couldn't accept anymore kids because she was way too full?" Yusei nodded his head. "I looked after the kids. I found a spot where they could stay, just outside of town. It looked abounded, so I had the kids help me clean it up." A sad smile made its way to Crow's face before he continued. "Everything went splendidly ... until one night ..."

**_Lights streamed into the front door window. Crow opened the door, stepped out and closed it. He stood protectively in front of it. _**

**_Right in front of Crow were two guys on motorcycles. They both didn't look too pleased. The one on the black bike pulled his helmet off. He had cherry-red hair that came down to his shoulders, and his bangs were parted off to both sides of his face. His eyebrows were thick, and the look in his brown eyes held lot of emotions. His skin was a nice tan color. To top it all off the teen had a starting of a beard. Crow had to admit that the teen before him was attractive. _**

**_A knock snapped Crow out of his thoughts. "Crow, are you okay?" One of the older kids asked. _**

"It turned out that the rundown building was Robert and Bolger's," Crow explained, coming out of his memory. "I explained to Robert what the situation was and he had no problem with the kids staying."

Yusei nodded his head and smiled, concluding that Robert was a nice guy.

"After staying there," Crow continued, "Robert said that he would turn the rundown building into an Orphanage ..."

**_Crow blinked a few times. "You want to do what?" _**

**_"Shh," Robert hushed, signaling for him to be quiet. "Not so loud. The little tikes are sleeping." _**

**_Crow shrank for a moment. "Sorry about that," he murmured. "But there's no reason for you to do that. Just say the word and we'll leave." _**

**_Robert sighed. "Your kids are not a pain, if that's what you're worried about. I like kids just as much as you do," he openly admitted. "That's why I think it would be cool to have one. We can run the place together."_**

"I thought that was really sweet of him," Crow explained, coming out of his memory again. "But Bolger wasn't all to happy for some odd reason. Robert and I tried to tell him what that we were doing was for a good cause but he just gave us look and walked out." Yusei nodded his head and rubbed his back. "The one thing I didn't count on while we continued to work together was Robert having feelings for me ..."

**_Crow and the kids made their way toward the building to see Bolger's yellow motorcycle and one black car parked outside. Crow quickened his pace with the kids following close behind. The door was already open. _**

**_Robert was sitting at the table working on his laptop. Bolger was standing next to him with six men dressed in business suits. The one in the white was holding up an open briefcase full of money. _**

**_"I don't understand why you're so fixed on wanting to help that Bird Brain? If it's money that you need, I have some!" _**

**_Crow walked up. "What's going on?" _**

**_"Stay out of this!" Bolger barked, giving Crow a hateful look. _**

**_Crow glanced down at the kids telling them to go play. They nodded their head turned and closed the door behind them._**

**_"Didn't I tell you to leave?" _**

**_"I don't need it," Robert said. He glanced at the briefcase before he looked at Crow. "I have everything right here." _**

**_Awkward tension hung in the air. Crow blinked when he realized that Robert was staring right at him in the eyes. Crow felt uncomfortable being stared at as he was a delicate flower. _**

**_Bolger eyed them both and jealousy clouded his judgment. "Fine! I get it! You love that Bird Brain more than me!"_**

**_He turned and yanked the briefcase, pushed the men out of the way and ran to the front door before slapping Crow across the face._**

**_"Slut ..." Bolger hissed pushing passed him. _**

Yusei pulled his right glove off and wiped the tears from Crow's cheek.

"I didn't know that Bolger and Robert were going out at that time. I felt so bad that I caused them to break up. He did reassure me that I wasn't the cause for their argument and their relationship wasn't really going smoothly, anyways."

Yusei nodded his head, pulling his hand away. "So ... what happened?" He asked, wanting all the blanks filled.

Crow's expression darkened. "I ... I was willing to give things a go. But it didn't last long - Robert was in a motorcycle accident two weeks later and died," he explained. "Bolger was involved in the accident too and lived. When I heard, I was outraged, so I did some investigation and found out that Bolger was responsible for the crash. I made sure that he was put in prison for what he did, once he got out of the hospital."

"We better head back," Yusei spoke quietly, getting to his feet.

Crow nodded his head and did the same. They both turned and gathered the two duffle bags, heading back to Kiryu's room.

To Be Continued ...


	34. Chapter 34

Heartaches

Chapter 34

By KellyQ

Trudge glanced at the digital clock that displayed that it was 10:45AM. _I can't believe that I'm doing this for that ungrateful slut! _The more he watched the tape, the drowsier he got. When they left Kiryu's room, Mina suggested they look at the video to see if they could come up with something unusual in the tape.

Trudge yawned loudly, and shifted in his seat. They had been watched the video for an hour and Trudge was starting to get a little restless. Mina sighed, feeling her own patience growing thin. She reached out and pressed the pause button on the computer. Trudge blinked a few times, feeling more alert. He turned to see her scowling at him.

"I guess we can take a break," Mina said, keeping herself from scolding him. "And have something to eat."

Trudge was even more awake. He rose to his feet and held out his arm for Mina to take. The young woman sighed and hooked her arm around his. They both walked out of the security room, and made their way to the cafeteria.

On the way, Mina and Trudge saw Yusei and Martha walking toward them. Mina was the first to notice how tense and worn out Yusei looked.

"Mr. Fudo, are you alright?"

Martha smiled. "He'll be all right after he goes home and freshens up ..." Yusei gave her a sideways glance.

"And maybe a little T.L.C. from Mr. Atlus," Mina suggested.

By this point, Trudge had all ready went on ahead. Martha eyed Mina for a moment before she glanced at Yusei. A teasing smile made its way to the old woman's face.

"Oh, that's right," Martha said, eyeing the young woman. "You're Jack's housekeeper. Mina, right?" A light blush made its way to her cheeks and and bowed. "I hope my boys are _behaving themselves_."

Mina straightened up and smiled, but it changed when she noticed the teasing look Martha's eyes. The blush returned to Mina's pale cheeks, trying to keep some naughty images of Jack and Yusei out of her mind.

Mina merely squeaked. "I ... I have no complaints with Mr. Fudo!" she said quickly, stumbling over her words. She didn't want to embarrass Yusei in front of Martha. "He's a nice person, and I enjoy his company."

The one thing that went unnoticed by the two was Yusei still standing there, taking it all in. He was baffled. Yusei wasn't embarrassed about Mina knowing what he did behind closed doors with Jack, he was more perplexed about Martha pointing out that he needed to take better care of himself.

Yusei knew that he was going to hear about it later from Jack. Martha glanced from the corner of her eye to see that Yusei looked a little uncomfortable; Mina noticed too. She felt bad.

"I do need to get going. Trudge is waiting for me." With that, Mina bowed.

Martha stepped out of the way for the young housekeeper to go on and met up with Trudge. She made her way into the cafeteria. Trudge had all ready poured himself some coffee and got a breakfast croissant.

Mina wasn't paying any attention to the fact that there was still another person in the room and that was Carly. She was still sitting at one of the tables. Mina walked over to the coffee stand and poured herself some. Trudge glanced up and watched her make her way over. Mina pulled the chair out and sat down.

After a few moments of Trudge eyeing her, He sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried, that's all," Mina spoke softly, staring down at her cup of coffee.

Trudge raised a brow. "How so?"

Mina sighed. "I managed to hack into Godwin's personal file and found some disturbing things ..." she trailed off before continuing. That grabbed Trudge's attention. Mina then realized that she was ready to reveal some dark secrets. "Promise not to say a word?"

Trudge raised a brow. "Yeah. I promise."

Mina frowned and looked into the officer's eyes. "You can't say a word to anyone! Especially not Godwin! He'd have me fired from my job as Jack's housekeeper, and I don't want that!"

Trudge blinked and a twinge of jealousy could be seen in his eyes. "Why would you worry about that?"

Mina bit her lip. "I met Mr. Atlus through Godwin. I fell in love with him at first sight. He was nice for the most part.... even though he was hardly home, and when he was, he was with his friends. As time went on, my love for Mr. Atlus grew. There were multiple times I wanted to tell him how I felt; before I could, however, I discovered that he loved Mr. Fudo." Trudge studied her for a moment and saw that she looked happy. "I was happy for Mr. Atlus, but I wanted to make sure that Mr. Fudo wasn't going to hurt Mr. Atlus so I did a background check on him. I got enough info on him to satisfy me ..." Mina paused to take a sip of her coffee. "So I wasn't worried until ...," she sighed. "You kind of know the rest with Rudger and the situation with Kiryu. That's when I was determined to know more about Mr. Fudo ..."

By this point, Trudge was in suspense. So was Carly, several tables away, from where she had been eavesdropping. _And …._ They both thought. Mina sat there for a moment trying to collect her thoughts.

"Mr. Fudo's father, Hakase, was a very successful businessman. He had everything - a beautiful wife and a son …" Mina started to explain, trying to keep her voice calm. "Unfortunately, Rudger wanted Hakase for himself … so he killed his wife first and he went after Yusei, but Hakase had Martha hide him …" Mina paused, feeling her heart race. She wasn't sure if she should reveal the rest. After a moment, she was ready. "As a result, Rudger beat and raped Hakase before he killed him."

Trudge made a face. Carly gasped loudly. Mina and the officer glanced at her. A nervous laugh escaped from the back of Carly's throat.

"I'm sorry for overhearing your conversation, but are you two detectives?" Carly asked.

Mina eyed Carly for a moment and recognized her, but Trudge didn't at first.

"More or less, yes. Why?" Trudge asked.

"Oh! No reason," Carly said, laughing nervously again. "I just couldn't help but overhere! Sorry about that!"

Carly got up and walked out. Mina narrowed her eyes.

"That was weird," Trudge muttered. He took the croissant and brought to his lips. He bit hungrily into it, chewing quickly.

"That was Carly," Mina hissed softly.

"Who?" Trudge asked, after swallowing his first bite.

"Carly Carbine. The stupid bitch who hasn't gotten a clue yet that she has no chance with Mr. Atlus!"

With that Mina got up and walked out. Trudge groaned. As much as he liked cat fights, he was going to have to make sure that they didn't go far as killing each other.

To Be Continued ....


	35. Chapter 35

Heartaches

Chapter 35

By KellyQ

Martha looked up and smiled, but it faded when she noticed a distant look in Crow's eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, walking up.

"I ran into Bolger," Crow spoke quietly, walking over to the bed. Yusei followed suit and placed the bags on the bed.

"He didn't try anything did he?" Martha asked, feeling her motherly instincts kick in.

"No ... but it sure felt weird seeing him again after what he did to Robert," Crow admitted, feeling things that he hadn't felt since Robert's death.

Martha's old feelings about what happened came back, too. She remembered how Robert came into the picture. How shy Crow sounded on the phone when he talked about him without realizing it. Martha felt sorry for Crow. The poor boy hadn't had a real chance to be loved back.

Yusei inwardly sighed, feeling sorry for his friend. He glanced at Kiryu to see that his eyes were closed.

"I do need to get going and fix my cell phone before the day is done," Yusei said, walking over to the other side of the room to get his own bag.

Martha watched him pluck his bag off the floor and put the strap over his shoulder.

"Are you sure that you'll be okay, Crow?" Yusei asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Crow nodded his head. Yusei turned and walked out. Martha continued to study Crow who was so still that he looked a little stressed out.

"Crow ... what happened to Robert wasn't your fault," Martha said in a calm persuasive voice.

The red-haired teen sighed. "It still doesn't change the fact that I didn't see that Bolger and Robert were going out before I came into the picture." Crow closed his eyes. "Bolger was right about one thing though – I am a bird brain and a slut ..."

Martha sighed, walked up and pulled Crow close. The red-haired teen buried his face in her shoulder and cried.

By that point, Kiryu had woken up and the first thing he heard was a soft sobbing sound. He turned his head to see Martha hugging Crow.

"Crow ...?" he called out. The red-haired, turned and wiped the tears from his face. Crow walked up and Kiryu used his good arm to pull him close. "Kiryu. Love. Crow."

Martha smiled. She hated to admit it, but having Kiryu hit his head did some wonders for him. He wasn't the angry, sad, depressed person he used to be.

Martha walked up and hugged them both. "I need to get going, but I'll be back to check on you guys."

The two teen's nodded their heads and watched Martha walk out. She made her way to the elevator. Taking it down to the lobby, Martha saw Carly and Mina face-to-face glaring at each other. Trudge eyed the whole thing closely.

"What's going on?" Martha asked, walking up. She placed her hands on her hips.

"I've been trying to apologize for eavesdropping, but Mina here thought I was rude!" Carly explained.

Martha eyed her for a moment and narrowed her eyes. "Eavesdropping on what?"

Carly bit her lower lip. "Those two ...," she started, pointing to Mina and Trudge, "looked Yusei's father up and found out that Rudger was one who killed his parents."

Martha closed her eyes trying to suppress the feeling in her heart. "I know. I was there when it happened ..."

Mina gave Carly a scowl when she saw the depressed, sad look in Martha's eyes. Carly gasped with shock. She was about to ask some questions when the hospital door opened and Godwin walked in with Jeager following close behind. The tension in the air spiked.

Godwin nodded his head, acknowledging everyone. This is a surprise, he said to Carly.

She bowed. One of Jack's friends needed help, so here I am! She knew by now, thought, that her disguise was blown.

Godwin nodded his head. "Jack has been taking time to take you out on a few dates, right?"

Carly sighed. "He has, but I didn't know that he's going out with someone else, and that's Yusei Fudo."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Miss. Carbine," Godwin said with fake sympathy laced in his voice.

Carly caught on and she frowned. "It doesn't matter, but you could've told me ..."

"I may be his legal guardian, but it's up to him if and when he wants to share his personal life," Godwin explained. Jeager chuckled. "Anything else, Miss. Carbine?" Godwin questioned.

Carly bit her lip. "Why did you decide to look after Jack and pick me to go out with him when he all ready has someone?"

"We would love to stay and chat, Miss. Carbine, but Godwin has a Docter's appointment to go to," Jeager spoke up.

"We can talk about this later, Miss. Carbine," Godwin said.

By this point, Mina, Trudge, and Martha were all ready gone, leaving Carly standing there by herself.

"Why do I suddenly feel that I'm being used?" she thought out loud.

She sighed and hung her head. Carly really wanted to talk to someone, and the only likely person was Misty.

To Be Continued ...


	36. Chapter 36

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Heartaches

Chapter 36

By KellyQ

Sayer looked up when his cell door opened. A smile made its way to his lips. He rose to his feet, reached out, and pulled Akiza close. Mr. Izayoi watched closely as he walked in behind Akiza and sat across from them.

Akiza smiled. "Sayer, this is my father, Hideo. Dad, this is Sayer."

Hideo and Sayer gave each other a nod, before Sayer averted his gaze back to Akiza.

"I'm glad to see you. When we talked last, you sounded stressed. Is everything all right, my dear?"

"I'm a little stressed out about work," Akiza admitted as Sayer rubbed her back. "A friend hit his head, and now he needs help."

"Who's this friend you're talking about?" Sayer asked, moving his hand away.

"Kiryu Kyosuke."

The tension in the air spiked.

"I'm sorry to hear that one of Yusei's friends hit his head," Sayer said. "How is the _poor_ lad taking it?" he asked referring to Yusei.

He liked the thought of him suffering. Sayer always thought that Yusei was nothing more than a perverted slut with no class.

Akiza sighed. "Kiryu is alright," she said avoiding the topic about Yusei. Akiza knew that they didn't like each other, and never would. "I was going to stay there and help out, but I wanted to see you."

A soft smile made its way to his lips, and the vibe changed. Sayer was actually touched. He knew that he should let the past go, and his old feelings of how things turned out between the three of them. At the end, they both helped Akiza get better.

Akiza smiled in return and pulled him close. "Despite what you have done, I still love you, Sayer," she murmured.

"It's time to go," came a guard's voice.

Hideo rose to his feet, moved behind his daughter and placed a comforting on her shoulder. "It's time for us to go, sweetie."

Akiza nodded her head and pulled away. She turned and followed her dad out to the car.

"Akiza, can you tell me what happened between you three? It will help me understand where you're coming from with all this."

Hideo knew that there were dislikes between Yusei and Sayer. He just didn't get why they couldn't come to an understanding.

"Sayer is the jealous type ... he thought Yusei was just in the way ... even after I broke up with him, Sayer tried to drown him."

Akiza thought she had blocked the memory out of her mind. She never thought Sayer was the type of person to go as far as trying to kill people. It wasn't until later she concluded that Sayer just wanted her for himself. Ever since then, Akiza had been trying to prove to him that she still loved him and no one was trying to take her.

Hideo nodded his head and rubbed his daughter's back in a comforting gesture. "How about I take you out for some ice cream," he offered.

A smile made its way to Akiza's lips. "Thanks dad, you're the best." She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

* * *

A few moments of sitting there, Sayer sighed. He remembered what he did to Yusei and the look he gave him.

**_A gunshot rang throughout the dark room. Yusei scrambled behind some thick pipes and pressed himself against the wall. _**_That damn bastard lied to me when he called saying that Akiza was in trouble! _

**_"Come out, come out where ever you are!" Sayer taunted. His silhouette moved close to where Yusei was hiding. "Let's settle this once and for all!" _**

**_Yusei moved along the pipes quietly, away from getting hit. _**_Selfish bastard! He had better not had hurt Akiza! Besides, I haven't done anything! _**_More anger welled when he concluded that Sayer must've interrupted what was going on all wrong. _**

**_"Playing is so like you," Sayer spoke up, seeing that his prey wasn't going to come out. A cruel smirk made its way to his lips. There was more than one way to get Yusei to come out. "But then again, I like to play game,s too. Isn't that how you got close to Akiza?"_**

**_"Where is she?" came Yusei's voice. He stepped out from where he was hiding. _**

**_Sayer turned and pointed his gun at him. "Ah. So the kinky slut has finally come out ..."_**

**_Yusei didn't flinch, nor did he care being called names. He didn't even care if he was shot as long as he got some answers. _**

**_"Why?" Yusei asked in a cold uncaring tone. There was betrayal in his eyes. "Why would you do something like this? Do you really want to make her sadder than she already is?" _**

**_Sayer growled and fired his gun, but he missed by a few inches. The bullet hit one of the pipes and water sprayed out. Yusei glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened. He looked back to see that Sayer was gone and the door to the room closed and locked. _**

Sayer laid back on his hard bed. Not once did he feel sorry for what he did, but he was going to make sure that he wasn't going to make Akiza sad ever again.


	37. Chapter 37

Heartaches

Chapter 37

By KellyQ

After Carly changed into the outfit Misty gave her, she looked into the mirror. She started to brush her hair. Images of Misty running the comb through her hair flashed in front of Carly like a picture book. The sensation certainly felt good, but why would Misty go so far as to be, and not respectful toward Jack?

Carly didn't like that Misty treated him like dirt. She groaned. _Why are things so complicated? I wonder if Jack feels used_, Carly thought, walking out of the woman's restroom. She stopped abruptly. _Could Godwin be ordering Jack to take me out to break his relationship with Yusei_?

Carly liked the thought of having Jack all to herself, but every time they were together, it left things sour. Carly didn't want that, and she was sure that Jack didn't want that either.

By this point Carly had made it to the bus stop and waited for the bus that would take her to Misty's Condo. Carly pulled out her cell phone and dialed Jack's number, and after the third ring it was answered.

_**"Hello?"**_ came Yusei's voice.

Carly nearly dropped her phone. She wasn't expecting Yusei to pick up, or having Jack's cell phone. "Uh ... is this Yusei?"

_**"Yes,"**_ came a calm reply, _**"and you're Carly, right?" **_

Awkward tension could be felt through both of them.

"Uh ... yeah ... umm ... could you tell Jack that I want to cancel our outing next Friday?"

_**"Sure. I can do that,"**_ Yusei responded casually. _**"May I ask why? So he knows what's going on?" **_

Carly bit her lip. "Well ... I just thought we could hang and not go out," she answered. _Besides_, Carly thought, _I want to know how Jack feels about this whole thing_.

_**"Sure thing. Thanks for telling him in advance,"**_ Yusei said politely.

Carly laughed nervously. "Sure. It would be rude not to tell him ahead of time, right?"

_**"Sure ... but I do need to go, and I'll make sure that Jack gets the message." **_

With that Yusei hung up. Carly (by now) was already at her destination, and so was Yusei. He smiled when the door to Martha's house opened and Rally ran up. Yusei got off his motorcycle just as Rally hugged him.

"Jack came by just a moment ago, saying that you might drop by, and I'm happy you did," Rally murmured.

A soft smile made its way to Yusei's lips, thinking that it was sweet that his boyfriend went out of his way to do that.

"Aren't you going to come inside?" Rally asked, snapping Yusei out of his thoughts.

He smiled again and took the boy's hand. They both walked inside let go of their hands, just as Leo came running up.

"You just missed Jack - and Aero was here before that! He made some excellent breakfast!" He explained in a rush.

Rally smiled. He thought Aero was a sweet guy, and Jack seemed to show him a lot of respect.

Yusei raised a brow. "He was?"

Rally nodded his head. "Yeah! It was cool to meet him. He reminded me of you ... as in being a nice person, and cool to hang around with."

"Thanks," he said gently, allowing Leo and Rally to guide Yusei into the kitchen.

When they walked into the kitchen, there was a plate (wrapped in tinfoil) for Yusei. "Have you guys eaten, yet?" he asked, taking his gloves off.

They sat down as Yusei unwrapped the tinfoil, to see that it was his favorite (a cut egg sandwich).

Rally nodded his head, watching him eat. "Yeah! He's a good cook!"

"Do you think you have time to hang with us?" Leo asked. "I was wondering if you can help me fix something."

Rally bit his lip. "I tried to help fix it," he explained quietly, "but I just made it worse."

Yusei nodded his head, taking the last bite of his sandwich. He took the napkin and wiped his mouth. "What needs to be fixed?"

"It's more along the lines of wanting to track my friend Dexter," Leo said, looking the other way. "He was adopted awhile back, and I want to know if he's okay." _And I really want him to meet Rally, too,_ he thought.

"How about I help you after everything quiets down with Kiryu?" Yusei suggested, putting his gloves back on.

"I ... I guess that could work," Leo said quietly, still looking away.

"We can still keep looking," Rally said, placing his hand on top of Leo's. He nodded his head, turned, slipped his hand from under Rally's and walked out. Rally sighed, feeling sorry for Leo. "We looked into Martha's file, and it said that Dexter where adopted, and it had the address, so we called, and we got some weird person on the phone," Really explained, "but it turned out that Dexter has moved and that's what we're trying to figure out."

A soft smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "I'm glad you're making new friends here. Most of the kids are nice."

Rally nodded his head. "I guess," he murmured looking in the direction where they came from.

Yusei studied him for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure Leo out." Rally shifted in his chair. "He's all cheery one minute and gets all depressed the next. Do you know if he ever gets angry?"

"The only time I've ever seen him get upset was when Luna got sick, she ended up in the hospital for a few months," Yusei explained.

Rally nodded his head again, then asked, "have you met Dexter?"

"I met him once. He was quiet and shy, but all in all, he was a good kid," Yusei answered.

Rally smiled. "I do think the twins are cool. But I'm still trying to figure Leo out. Can you tell me anything that would help?"

Yusei studied him for a moment and smiled. "I don't know that much other than I think that he has ADD and depression."

Rally nodded his head in agreement. It made a hole lot of sense about Leo's personality, but Rally was still going to help Leo find his friend – Dexter.

To Be Continued ...


	38. Chapter 38

Heartaches

Chapter 38

By KellyQ

Carly stood there, scratching the back of her head nervously when Misty answered the door. A soft smile made its way to her lips, as she eyed Carly for a moment.

"What brings you here, Carly?" Misty asked calmly, stepping out of the way for her to enter.

The two walked up a small flight of stairs. The first thing Carly noticed was a large TV built into the side wall, once they had reached the living room. Across the room was a nice couch and a small wooden table. The floor was carpeted with a tan rug. The hard wood floor in the kitchen to the next flight of stairs was cedar.

Misty led Carly to the soft couch, and she sat down. The beautiful model walked into the kitchen to make some tea.

"You ... you have a nice place, Misty," Carly commented nervously.

"Thanks."

By now the tea was ready. Misty placed the tea cups on a tray.

"I'm assuming you want some sugar, right?" Misty asked.

Carly nodded her head. "Yes, please."

Misty smiled, and placed the sugar bowl on the tray. She took the tray and made her way over to where Carly was sitting. Misty sat the items down, and sat next to her.

"So, what's up?"

"Uh ... you know that Jack's going to take me out on Friday?" Misty nodded her head. "Well, I've decided not to."

"Oh?" Misty 'hmmed'. "What's with the sudden change?"

"Well, Godwin's the one who's been trying to get us hooked, and I think I fell into whatever he's planning and it has to do with the fact that he's going out with Yusei."

Misty nodded her head. "Ah, yes. Mr. Fudo ..."

"Y-you know Yusei?" Carly asked, surprised.

Misty couldn't help but laugh. "Of course. He was going out with Akiza before she went out with Sayer ... or something like that. I don't know the details because that's when I was having problems with my brother."

Carly gasped. "Oh! That's right! And I'm sorry for being so nosy earlier!"

"You weren't being nosy at all. I'm flattered," Misty said softly. Carly scratched the back of her head, blushing. "Its nice to know that there's friends to talk to. Ever since my brother died, it has been lonely. I'm sure you know how that feels."

Carly nodded her head, put her hand down. "Can you tell me what happened to your brother?"

Misty looked down with guilt in her eyes. "My brother had feelings for Akiza. I told him that he was too young to understand about love. We had a big fight. It ended up with him leaving. I hadn't seen him for a while, until he came home one rainy night all high on drugs ..." Carly gasped out, and her eyes widened with awe. "He wasn't making any sense about things ... all I could make out Akiza and Sayer ... mainly Sayer."

"Wait! Sayer? Isn't he that famous psychiatrist who helps people with mental problems?" Carly asked.

Misty nodded her head. "I blamed Akiza for what happened to my brother, even though my brother ended up killing himself because of his mental state when he came home that night."

"How old was Toby?" Carly asked.

"14," Misty answered.

Carly 'hmmed'. "How long ago was that?"

"Close to four years now," Misty answered quietly.

Carly nodded her head, trying put things together. "Jack didn't say anything about Akiza nor about Yusei going out with her," she mumbled, remembering their _date. _

"Well, if this helps - they've been going out since shortly after they helped Akiza stable our relationship," Misty shared.

"So, you and Akiza are friends?"

The look in Misty's eyes had changed a little. "We are on speaking terms."

Carly nodded her head. "That's good ... I guess."

Misty studied her for a moment. "What's wrong?" she finally asked, taking Carly's hand.

Carly looked down and sighed. "Everything's so confusing. Every time I get some answers - it leads to more questions. The only thing I'm trying to figure out is Jack. When I asked him about Yusei, he got edgy with me, but thanks for telling me about that piece of information. He left that out."

Misty chuckled. "When you love someone, you don't want that person to get hurt."

Carly nodded her head. "Maybe I should forget about Jack. What do you think?"

"You can do whatever you feel is best, but if it were me, I'd forget about him ... considering that he's not regarding your feelings."

Carly nodded her head. "He did say that he wanted to be my friend, and if that's what he wants, I'll have to respect that, right?"

Misty could see that Carly wanted to break down. She pulled her close and rubbed her back. Carly blushed, feeling her heart skip a beat. She unconsciously scooted closer and closed her eyes, feeling safe in Misty's arms.

To Be Continued ...


	39. Chapter 39

Heartaches

Chapter 39

By KellyQ

When Yusei came back to Jack's apartment condo, the blonde's motorcycle wasn't there. Yusei didn't mind; he was hoping that Jack wasn't around at this point, so he could finish fixing his cell phone. He calmly walked in, and made himself comfortable at the kitchen table. He pulled everything out, and scattered the remains to work.

Twenty minutes later, the door to the computer room opened and Mina made her way in, to see him working.

"Mina ...?" Yusei asked quietly, not even looking up from what he's been doing. "Where's Jack?"

"He came here and told me that he was going to ride the racetrack for a bit before he comes back."

Yusei nodded his head. "What about the tape? Have you and Trudge figured anything out?"

Mina sighed and decided to take a seat. "Not much I'm afraid," she answered quietly.

Yusei finally glanced up to see an apologetic look on her face. He frowned. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you in front of Martha," she stated quietly.

"Don't worry about that," Yusei reassured in a casual tone. He went back to work.

A light blush made its way to Mina's cheeks, and she looked relieved. "That's good. I would've felt bad if I did."

Yusei shrugged it off. "What can you tell me about Carly?"

Mina blinked, surprised that Yusei would ask. She bit her lip. "I don't know all that much about her other than she's a bad nurse, and she has feelings for Jack."

Mina studied him for a moment. She was about to reassure Yusei that there wasn't going to be any competition when the door opened and Jack made his way into the kitchen.

Mina got to her feet and bowed. "I'll get back to work, and I'm hoping to at last have something by tomorrow."

Jack raised a brow. "Trudge hasn't been helping you?"

Mina groaned out of disappointment. She was hoping to get some help from him. Yusei and Jack glanced at each other.

"No. He said that he wanted to sleep more instead of helping me, and he'll take me out to eat later."

Yusei caught on quickly before Jack did about Mina. He had a sneaky feeling that there was something going on with them.

A teasing smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "I'm sure that Trudge won't be late for your outing."

Mina blushed. "Uh ... I should get to work."

With that, she turned and walked out. Jack raised a brow and glanced at his boyfriend to see him working away, but there was a teasing smile on Yusei's lips.

"I don't want to know what's going on with Trudge and Mina as long as he doesn't do anything stupid. I don't care," Jack muttered, turning to leave.

"Wait, Jack," Yusei called out. The blonde-haired teen turned to see his cell phone being tossed to him. Jack caught it. "Carly called saying that she wants to council your outing and just talk. You should call her."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "She didn't threaten you, did she?"

Yusei glanced up and raised a brow. "No. She requested that I deliver the message."

"Fine ..." Jack grunted, knowing that Yusei wanted him to be polite about the situation. "I'll call her to see what she wants."

"It wouldn't hurt for you to be polite to people," Yusei pointed out, watching his boyfriend calling Carly.

Jack put it to his ear and waited. After a few rings, it was answered.

_**"Yes?"**_ came Misty's voice. Jack's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed.

"Is Carly there?" He asked.

_**"She's sleeping right now. May I take a message?"**_ Misty suggested.

Jack grumbled. "No. I'll call her later, and who is this, by the way?"

_**"Misty - Misty Lola,"**_ she stated.

Jack grumbled again and hung up before there was any further conversation. Yusei raised a brow and waited for his boyfriend to share.

"She's at Misty's," Jack said, wondering why she would be there when Carly already had a place to stay.

"I'm sure she wanted someone to talk to about her troubles," Yusei said, seeing that Jack looked a little paranoid that he had to interact with Misty.

Jack grunted in response and sat down, seeing that Yusei was almost done fixing his cell phone. "That's fine, but Misty acts like I'm going to hurt Carly or something and she makes sure I stay in line when I'm around her - it's sort of obnoxious."

Yusei tried to hold back a teasing smile. He snapped his flip-cell-phone back together and turned it on. It lit up, indicating that it was on. "Go ahead and call me. I want to see if it works."

Jack to his feet turned and walked out. Yusei watched for a moment; his cell phone rang and he looked down to see that Jack did as he was told.

Yusei put his phone to his ear. "I'll be ready in a few moments. I'm going to call Crow, Blister, and Martha and tell them my phone is fixed."

_**"Don't take too long," **_Jack insisted.

Yusei could hear the bath water running when he got off the phone.

To Be Continued ...


	40. Chapter 40

Heartaches

Chapter 40

By KellyQ

Shortly after Yusei left Martha's house, Rally made his way toward the office. He stopped when he saw Luna standing there with a regretful look on her face. She had a piece of paper in her hand. A second later, Leo walked out of the office to see the two standing there. He stepped up and glanced at his twin.

"What's wrong? You look like someone told you that someone had died and regretted not saying a word."

Luna lowered her gaze and handed the paper over to her brother. Leo took it, and skimmed over it. Luna bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. Rally watched with a heavy heart. He could tell, by the way things were going, that something bad had happened to Dexter.

"Is ... everything alright?" Rally asked. He could tell that Luna was trying to refrain from breaking down. She then flung herself in Leo's arms sobbing, the paper dropped to his side.

"I'm sorry, Leo, for not telling you sooner!" Luna choked out.

Rally couldn't hold back anymore. He stepped up and picked up the paper and his fear was confirmed: Dexter had died from pneumonia. Rally glanced up to see that Leo just stood there, shocked, as his sister cried on his shoulder.

Leo closed his eyes for a moment, before he placed his hands on Luna's shoulders and straightened her up. A smile made its way to his lips. He opened his eyes and many emotions could be seen. "I had a feeling that Dexter wasn't alive anymore, and now I know where's he's at - I can listen to some music!"

With that, Leo turned and ran passed them. It wasn't long before the stereo was on, playing music loudly. Luna dropped to her knees, crying again. Rally stepped up and knelt beside her.

"I'll be okay," she whispered, "you better check on Leo ..."

Rally nodded his head, rose to his feet and made his way to the twin's room. He stood there watching Leo dancing. After a few moments, Rally walked up, took Leo's hand and they started to dance with him. Leo blinked when he realized what was going on. They had stopped dancing all together and glanced at each other. The music had ended by now.

"Are you okay?" Rally finally asked.

Leo blinked again. Did he just dance with a boy? He pulled back and laughed nervously. "Of course I'm alright! There's no need to worry! I have a new friend now, and that's you!"

Rally's expression lit up. He took Leo's hands in his own. "I want to be your friend, too!"

Leo smiled when Luna walked in. Both boys turned their heads to see her standing there. "Leo, can you forgive me for not telling you?"

Leo tightened his grip around Rally's hands as his sister walked up. "Of course I forgive you! I have a new friend now!"

"You mean _we _have a new friend!" Luna corrected, thinking that it wasn't fair that Leo assumed that Rally was all his.

Rally smiled knowing where this was going to head. He was flattered that the twins wanted to be his friends. In the mist of what was going on, Leo's yellow cell phone made a chiming sound. The three pulled apart as Leo went over to his desk. He snatched the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hey, Yusei! Hold on! I'm going to switch you over to speaker so all three of us can talk to you!" Leo moved the phone in front of him and pressed a bottom. "Can you hear me?"

**_"Yep, loud and clear. Is Rally with you guys?" _**Yusei asked.

The red-haired child blushed. "Yeah! I'm doing fine! I'm having loads of fun with the twins!"

**_"I'm glad," _**Yusei said gently. **_"If I have time tomorrow, I'll drop by and see if I can help, after I see how Crow and Kiryu are doing. How does that sound?" _**

"Oh ... about that," Leo said, trying to keep his voice calm.

**_"What's wrong?" _**Yusei asked, catching on that there was something bugging Leo.

"You know ... how I asked for your help to find Dexter?" Leo asked.

**_"Yes ..." _**Yusei answered calmly.

"Well ... I ..." Luna started, "Dexter died last year."

**_"I'm sorry to hear that," _**Yusei murmured, feeling a slight pang for Leo.

Leo grinned. "Don't be! I have Rally! He's my new friend!"

Luna let out an irritated sigh. "You mean: _he's our new friend!_"

"Hey! I interacted with him first!" Leo shot back.

An amusing chuckle came from the phone. **_"I'm glad that things turned out all right." _**It was obvious that Yusei was smiling when he spoke. **_"I do need to go so I can call Crow and Martha and tell them that my phone is working." _**

"Okay! Bye!"

With that, they both hung up. Luna shook her head.

"Rally's both of our friends, right?" she asked, glancing at the red-haired child.

Leo groaned. "Why would you want to be my sister's friend? She's weird!"

Luna pouted. She wasn't hurt at all. She was actually happy that Leo was alright, or so she thought.

To Be Continued ...


	41. Chapter 41

Heartaches

Chapter 41

By KellyQ

A soft scent reached Carly's nose. The aroma smelled like lilac. She couldn't help exhale and sigh, feeling her body relax. Everything felt heavenly to her and she wanted stay where she was. A hand reached out and touched the side of her face. Carly leaned into the hand, as the thumb graced along her pink moist lips. A moan came from the back of Carly's throat. She opened her eyes to see that the hand belonged to Misty.

She had moved Carly from the couch to her queen size bed. Green eyes stared into slanted hazel-blue eyes. Carly squeaked with shock when she realized how close Misty was. The beautiful model pulled back and chuckled.

"Sorry about that ..."

Carly calmed down. "What time is it?"

"It's only 4:50 PM," Misty answered.

Carly squeaked again. "I've been a sleep half of the day? I'm sorry!"

Misty raised a brow. "Don't be. You looked like you needed some rest anyways."

A small smile made its way to Carly's lips. "Thanks, I guess. I'll best be going."

"I'll take you home, if you want," Misty offered.

"You ... you don't have to do that! I can get myself home!"

Misty studied Carly for a moment. "Would you rather stay and get some rest?"

Carly looked down. "If that's okay with you."

A smile made its way to Misty's lips. "I'd like that, actually. I like having you around, Carly." A blush appeared across her cheeks. _She does look cute when she gets all shy, _Misty thought.

"You - you don't think I'm annoying?" Carly asked, finally looking at the model.

Misty smiled again and shook her head. "What makes you think that? I don't think you're annoying. You're a good person, Carly, and don't let people tell you otherwise."

All Carly did was nod her head in response. She wasn't the only one who was responding mutely; after calling Crow and Martha Yusei was now in the shower with Jack. He gently scrubbed his boyfriends back. Yusei always liked Jack's touch. It was a type of feeling that have him reassurance.

Jack was the same way, but different. He felt drawn to Yusei's strong personal aura that was calm, soothing, and soft. Jack also had to admit that Yusei was sexy and attractive.

By this point, they were getting dressed for bed, as Jack tried to get Yusei in bed, so he could sleep. He wasn't the only one trying to get someone in bed, Martha was also trying to get the kids ready for bed.

Leo walked into the bathroom to see Rally's silhouette through the shower door, washing himself. Leo turned red. He pulled back, and ran to his room, breathing hard. Luna walked in and raised a brow.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Leo immediately shook the feeling off and laughed nervously. "Of course I am!"

"You can use the bathroom now," came Rally's voice. The twins turned to see him standing there, brushing his curly-red hair. He was wearing a silky blue bath robe.

Rally turned and made his way to the room. He looked at the comb and pulled the loose hair off it. Rally walked over to the trash and let the loose hair fall into the trash. He turned and walked over to the bed when there was a knock at the door.

_"It's me, Martha. May I come in?" _

Rally smiled. "Sure."

Martha opened the door and she walked in, closing it behind her. "How do you like it here?"

"It's a great place," Rally answered, watching her walk up, and sat on the bed.

Martha smiled warmly. "I do try and make sure that kids are safe and happy."

Rally nodded his head and heaved his bag on the bed. Martha got to her feet and headed to the door. Rally plucked out his blue nightgown.

"Uhh ... Martha ... do you think you can help me?" Rally asked, holding up his nightgown.

The old woman studied him for a moment and smiled. "Sure."

Martha walked up, took the dressy nightgown as Rally removed the bath robe. He placed it on the bed and then held up his arms. Martha held up the nightgown over Rally's head, and the dressy nightgown spiraled down his body. Martha gave the material a gentle tug, so it would go over his head. She reached behind and helped Rally straighten out the back.

Once Martha pulled back, Rally turned and pulled the covers back. He climbed in as Martha took hold of the blanket and pulled it all the way to his neck. Rally closed his eyes, allowing the warmth consume him.

It wasn't long before he woke up to a knock at the door. Rally sat up and blinked, wondering who would want to chat at this late hour.

"Just a moment, please!" he said, after the second knock.

Rally pulled the covers back, got out of bed and put his slippers on. He then made his way to the desk where his shawl was draped over the chair. Once he had it over his shoulders, Rally turned and walked to the door and opened it. He blinked again to see that it was Leo. He looked depressed and sad.

Rally studied him for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to wake you ... but I couldn't sleep. You wouldn't mind some company, would you?"

Rally smiled. "No. Not at all. Come in."

He stepped aside for Leo to enter. Once Leo was in, Rally closed the door. He adjusted his shawl and made his way over to the bed and sat next to Leo.

"So ... uhh ... what do you want to do?" Rally finally asked, trying to make light conversation.

Leo fell back on the bed. "I don't know. Dexter and I would often sneak out and make our way through the town." He chuckled at the memory. "But we would end up getting in trouble by Martha when she found out." Then an idea came to him. "How about the two of us sneak out and have some fun!" Rally couldn't help but cring at the thought. Leo blinked a few times. "Or not."

"It's not that it wouldn't be fun. I'd just like to get some sleep right now."

Leo sat up and looked away. "Hey, Rally? Is it alright if we ... share the same bed? Dexter and I did that sometimes."

"Sure."

Leo beamed and watched Rally place his shawl on the chair and then joined him under the covers.

To Be Continued ...


	42. Chapter 42

Heartaches

Chapter 42

By Kellyq

Two days had passed, and things had not changed. Nothing came of the tape, but they suspected that the surveillance had a glitch. Jack and Mina hardly saw Godwin and his sex partner Jaeger. It didn't bother Jack, but it concerned Mina. She called a few times, leaving a message on every call. The young housekeeper sat at the kitchen table staring at her phone, wondering if she should call Jeager herself. _I'll__ do it! _Mina went through her contact list and found his number. She put her cell phone to her ear, and waited. After the second ring, it went straight to voice mail.

Mina grumbled a little. "This is Mina, checking in on some things. Send me a text message or voice mail, so I know that Godwin's all right." With another deep sigh, she hung up.

_I guess I shouldn't let it bother me, _Mina thought, getting up. She made her way to her room to get ready for her _date _with Trudge. Mina didn't really know what to call her outing with him, but she was never left unsatisfied, and neither was Trudge.

* * *

Yusei sat on a stool next to his red motorcycle, cleaning and repairing all of its many detailed parts, and contemplating why Godwin and Jeager would not be around. He was so occupied with thinking that he failed to realize that someone had walked in. _His _silhouette moved right behind Yusei and glanced over his shoulder.

Yusei's blue eyes shifted over his shoulder to see that it was an old man. He had light gray hair that feathered out on each side of his head. His eyes held awe in them. The outfit the old man was wearing was just a plain dark gray kimono, and a yellow vest. Yusei didn't pay any more attention to the rest of his appearance. He didn't really want to be bothered, so he went back to work.

The old man, however, grabbed a stool (it was on wheels) and sat next to Yusei, watching him. After being stared at for about three minutes, Yusei paused and glanced at the old men.

"May I help you?"

The old man's face lit up as he gasped with joy. "Ah! So, the pretty lad speaks! And a hot one at that!" he said, after taking in Yuseis appearance for those minutes in silence. The old man took Yusei's gloved hand, running his thumb along his knuckles and wrist. The name is Yanagi! And Im assuming that the pretty and kinky lad has a name, too?

Yusei closed his eyes for a moment and looked the other way. He wasn't in the mood to deal with some bored and perverted old man, but he didn't want to be rude either. "It's Yusei."

Yanagi smiled. "Well, Yusei, it was nice to have met you."

He pushed his stool backwards, but rolled it too fast for the slow, grey-haired man. It glided effortlessly across the room toward a blue and white motorcycle that was propped up in the corner. Yanagi's body fell forward as the stood came out from beneath him and as a result, he landed on his back, and the stool hit the motorcycle hard, before toppling over and landing on its side.

Despite Yusei's dislike of this annoying old guy, he couldn't help but react to the fact that he was now lying on the floor helplessly. Martha had raised him well; Yusei immediately bent down to see if Yanagi was okay.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked, mustering as much concern as he could in his voice.

"Ah, well, now would you look at that. I went and made a mess of myself here, falling on the ground. How embarrassing for us both," Yanagi explained. "I wouldn't give up a chance to be helped up by a boy of your beauty, though."

"Well, then, stand up. Here we go, get your feet under you," Yusei instructed, trying hard to avoid the comments this old man was saying, as well as how close he was putting his body to Yusei's. _I just need to get him to his feet then he'll be all right, _Yusei thought. _Then maybe he'll get outta here._

Just then, Tanner came through the door. Yusei was bent over Yanagi, straddling him with both legs, trying to get him to stand up without falling again. Admittedly, the scene looked bad, but Tanner wasn't focused on them; he was looking at his motorcycle.

"What the hell happened here!" Tanner demanded to know. "Who scratched up my motorcycle like this? There's going to be a heavy price of hurt to pay for whoever did this!"

Finally, Yusei had Yanagi to his feet. "Well, well," Yanagi said. "What do we have here? Another piece of eye candy, huh?"

"Who is that? What are you doing here, old man?" Tanner asked, a deep growl of resentment coming up from the back of his throat.

"Calm down, beefcake. I accidentally hit your motorcycle with my stool here when I fell over. It was an accident. You wouldn't be mad at an old man, now would you?"

"Damn right, I would! Look at this damage! The entire side panel is ruined thanks to you and your clumsiness," Tanner yelled without thinking. "You are going to fix this, or else!"

"Or else what?" Yanagi replied calmly, a wry smile making its way to his lips. Yusei could almost see the dirty thoughts forming in the old man's head.

"Or else we'll have to take this outside and clear it up once and for all," Tanner threatened.

"Well, unfortunately, I don't know the first thing about motorcycles and there's no way I'm going to be able to fix whatever's wrong with yours, even if I spend the next three years trying."

"I don't care! You're going to fix it and you're going to fix it now!" With that, Tanner started to come at Yanagi with his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

By this point, Yusei had moved behind Tanner, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, after which he kicked his foot underneath the taller man's legs making Tanner land on his side with a dull thud. He grunted in and looked to see that Yusei was standing in front of Yanagi.

"What's going on here? You're on this old geezer's side, now, huh?' Tanner said from the floor.

"No, I'm not on his side, but I'm certainly not going to stand idly by and let you pummel him like some angry ape," Yusei explained, without raising his voice in the slightest.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll have, then," Tanner offered from the floor as he was propping himself up with strong arms and an awful look on his face.

"I don't want a fight. In fact, I have a better plan. I'll fix your motorcycle for you if you promise to leave Yanagi here alone," Yusei suggested. "Deal?"

"Hummm," Tanner replied. "I prefer fighting then wimping out like you're doing, but I guess I'll let you humor me. Let's see what you can do with the bike," Tanner said, a laughing sort of smile spreading across his face.

"Ok, then," Yusei said.

Tanner stepped back, allowed Yusei to grab his toolbox, and went over to Tannner's motorcycle. They both watched Yusei work. Tanner's green dull eyes observed the whole thing closely, making sure that Yusei was doing things right. Yanagi glanced at the two, but his eyes were mainly set on Tanner.

"So, how does your body feel when you're on the motorcycle? Have you ever given anyone a ride? What's your name, anyhow?"

"It's Tanner "

Yangai gasped. He thought he recognized him when he walked in. "As in Bolt Tanner? I'm your biggest fan! And I've always had a crush on you!"

Tanner made a face.

"I really do!" Yanagi went on. "It's true!"

"Why not try and be friends," Yusei spoke up, glancing at the two.

"Why would I be friends with a perverted old man like him?" Tanner asked, thinking that the idea was odd.

Yanagi looked hurt. "I'm not that bad, am I? What's wrong with liking someone?"

Yusei gave Tanner a hard look. "Give him a chance. You never know, something better may come out of it."

"So, you don't think it's odd that I like Tanner?" Yanagi asked Yusei.

A small smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "Of course not. If that's how you feel that's how feel."

Tanner sighed. "Fine. I'll give it a try."

By this point, Yusei was almost done repairing the damage.

Yanagi's face lit up and he squealed like a schoolgirl. "Do you want to ride out on the town tonight?"

"Sure. Whatever," Tanner grumbled. He glanced at Yusei. "You have a name too, right?"

"It's Yusei. Yusei Fudo," he answered calmly.

The name rang a bell. "Wait. You're Jack's partner in drag racing, aren't you?"

Yanagi's eyes widened for a moment. "You mean _the _Jack_ Atlus_? The blond wonder? That's so romantic!" he said, picturing Jack on a white horse and coaxing Yusei to climb on so they could ride off into the sunset together.

Yusei rolled his eyes and went back to work.

To be Continued ...


	43. Chapter 43

Heartaches

Chapter 43

By Kellyq

Jaeger walked down the hospital hallway to the cafeteria to get something to eat. After Rudger's sudden stroke (that was two days ago), Godwin hadn't left his brother's side. Jeager sighed, grabbed some coffee, and a breakfast croissant. Making his way to a table, Jeager sat there for a moment, not feeling hungry. He pushed the items to the side and rested the side of his head in his hand. He knew that he shouldn't be concerned about Godwin. They were just sex partners and nothing more.

Nothing more.

Jeager glanced at his unsweetened, untouched coffee. He wasn't ready for things to change, especially how he felt about the tall gray-haired man. He was starting to have feelings for Godwin after being with him two years, and seeing him stressed out about what happened concerned him. Jeager knew that he shouldn't have feelings for Godwin. He knew that the older man wasn't into him in that manner.

* * *

Shortly after Yusei fixed Tanner's motorcycle and left the racetrack, he went to Martha's. The first thing Yusei noticed when the old woman walked up, was that she looked tired and skinner than she was before. The twins and Rally were right by her side.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked, taking a closer glance to see that Martha looked sick. They were now sitting at the kitchen table. "Do you want me to call your Doctor?"

"I already made an appointment," Martha shared.

"That's good," Luna responded.

"What time?" Yusei asked.

The more he took in of her appearance, the more he became worried. Now that he thought about it, he had started to notice some changes. Martha didn't eat that much, and she seemed more tired. _I don't like this, _Yusei thought. _Martha shouldn't look that way._

"I'll be leaving in an hour," Martha said factually, pushing the chair back. They watched her walk three feet away, but she stopped. "Yusei …?" The young teen (hmmmed) in response. "I need to talk to you, alone. And can you call Jack and Crow and have them meet us in DR Smith's office?"

"Sure."

* * *

Jack and Carly made their way to her studio apartment. Jack was the first to sit down as she placed her stuff by the door.

"Um ... do you want some water?" She asked nervously, making her way to the refrigerator.

"That's fine," Jack responded, watching her grab two water bottles. Carly turned and tossed one to him. Jack caught the plastic container effortlessly, opened the lid and brought to his lips, drinking it slowly. "So. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I know that you don't like me in the way I like you, but I want to know why? I'm no different than Yusei. Besides, his parents had been murdered, while mine live in another state because they didn't want me."

Jack gave her a look. "Where did you find that out? What's the point of all this?"

Carly squeaked out of fear before she cringed. "I ... I overheard Mina and Trudge talking. She did a background check on Yusei to make sure that he wouldn't hurt you!" _Even though I highly doubt that Yusei knows how to fight, _Carly thought calming down. She remembered what Misty said about the thing of love.

Jack sighed. "I already knew that Yusei's parents were killed."

Carly gasped. "And you haven't told him?"

"You of all people should know that some things are better left unsaid!" Jack lectured calmly. "And quit comparing yourself to Yusei. I've already told you that we're friends, and that should be good enough."

The atmosphere in the room turned sour. After a few moments, Carly sighed. "Jack ...? Are you sure that you're not being threatened by Godwin?"

Jack grunted in response. "Not exactly, but what brought that on? What's with the 20 questions?"

Carly lowered her gaze and her spiral glasses shined. "It's just that I feel that we can't bond if we're forcing each other to be friends ..."

Jack blinked, still wondering where all this was coming from. He stared at her for a moment, and for the first time, he could see passed her thick spiral glasses.

"You … you do want to be my friend … don't you?" Jack finally spoke up. He could sense that Carly has lost and lonely.

"I would like to," Carly spoke up quietly, "but I don't want you to force yourself into something that makes you feel uncomfortable. That's the last thing I want."

Jack grumbled, realizing that Carly was trying hard to respect the fact that she could never compete against Yusei. Images of Jack's boyfriend, glancing with a soft smile and a glint in his eyes, flashed across Jack's eyes.

"Thanks, Carly," he finally spoke up. "That means a lot to me that you respect my feelings, and I'm sorry that I haven't respected yours … and I should." he paused for a moment, before he continued. "I'm still willing to be your friend."

To Be Continued …


	44. Chapter 44

Heartaches

Chapter 44

By Kellyq

Crow paced back and forth, waiting for a nurse to come in. Kiryu watched him with curiosity. He wondered why Crow looked so anxious. After a moment of watching him, Kiryu couldn't help but chuckle.

When Crow got the text message from Yusei that Martha came to the hospital to see Doctor Smith, his heart almost stopped out of fear. Martha wouldn't see him, unless she was having some real health problems. Kiryu continued to chuckle as Crow's expression turned funny.

Just at that moment, the nurse walked in. "Is everything all right?"

"Could you look after Kiryu for me for a moment? Martha needs to see me right away."

Kiryu tilted his head. "Ma...?" He was now curious as to why Crow said Martha's name. The nurse nodded her head, and within seconds the red-haired teen ran out of the room. Kiryu blinked, looking a little confused and hurt. "Crow ...?"

* * *

Crow bolted down the hallway to Dr. Smith's office and burst through the door, startling the doctor, Jack, Yusei, Martha, the twins and Rally. Crow went straight to her.

"What's going on? You're not sick are you? Martha, are you okay?"

He glanced around the room to see grim faces. After a moment, he got the sense from everyone that he needed to sit, and so he did.

"What's going on?" Yusei asked. He, like Crow, was worried and was to this point uninformed about Martha's condition.

As much as he hated bad news, he got a little taste of that before he took her the hospital.

**_Yusei and Martha sat down on her bed. She reached to her night stand and pulled out a key from her pocket, and unlocked the drawer with her other hand. _**

**_"I was going to wait a little while longer to show this," Martha said, pulling out a dairy that looked red, "but perhaps the time has come." _**

**_Yusei glanced down to see that the book cover had a picture of a red dragon hovering over what looked like five other creatures. The first one looked like a monkey and the second, a hummingbird. The third looked like giant, the forth a spider, and finally the filth creature looked like a dangerous sort of lizard. Despite these hideous creatures adorning it, the book itself looked beautiful. _**

**_"Isn't that a diary?" Yusei asked, glancing back at Martha. _**

**_The old woman nodded her head. "It's your father's. He wanted me to give it to you when I felt it was time for you to know the truth." _**

**_Yusei reached out and gently took it. He opened the book to the first page, onto which there was taped a key. The larger end of the key was shaped like a heart. Yusei turned the page over to see one picture of Rudger standing behind his dad and his arms around him. At this, Yusei paused, confused. He glanced at the other picture and it was Hakase again, this time with a woman, a beautiful woman, that Yusei assumed was his mother. _**

**_"Yusei …_****_ there are a few things you should know..." Martha started to explain. She pulled a newspaper clipping out of the same drawer._**

"Why won't anyone answer us?" Yusei said. "What's wrong with Martha?" By this time, he had stood up and was visibly frustrated with the silence in the room.

"Yusei, if you would kindly have a seat," Dr. Smith said in a confident, professional tone. "We should all be calm and careful as we discuss the prognosis."

"Prognosis!" Yusei shouted a little louder than he had intended. "There's already a prognosis? What's the problem in the first place? Martha, what's wrong?"

"Yusei, please," Martha said weakly. "Please just listen to the doctor. Would you do that for me? Can you? Please?"

Yusei closed his eyes and sat down. Dr. Smith glanced around the room.

"This is not going to be easy to understand or accept," Dr. Smith said clearly and slowly, "but over the last several years, your mother Martha has had a severe case of cancer growing within her body without anyone knowing it."

The room was as quiet as the darkest cave. No one even seemed to breathe. Not the tiniest sound came from anyone.

"What this means," Dr. Smith went on, "is that Martha has a battle coming up with this sickness, a very difficult battle that she will need your help to win."

"Wait! What?" Crow blurted out finally, after Dr. Smith had finished his last phrase. "What's going to happen to the kids? Who is going to take care of them!"

"Crow, please," Martha said. "We will figure this out. I promise. We always do. We are a family."

Dr. Smith cut back in. "Right now," he said, "the most important thing is for Martha to rest."

Then, out of nowhere, Rally spoke up. "We can't live without you, Martha! Please don't die."

"I'm not going to die," Martha assured him. _At least I hope not soon_, she thought to herself.

"How long has this been going on, exactly?" Jacked piped up and asked. "When did you know about all this?"

"We just found out this morning, when Martha came in," Dr. Smith answered for his patient. "But it's impossible to tell how long it has been going on inside of her. There aren't answers to some of these difficult questions right now. You have to understand that."

Yusei lowered his gaze. "Is there any treatment for her?" he asked quietly. "Anything at all that can be done to help her?"

Dr. Smith sighed. "The tests show that it's too late to begin significant or successful treatment. The cancer is too developed and pronounced for a treatment plan to be effective from here on out."

At this realization, silence once more descended upon the room, hanging heavy off everyone. Almost as if on cue, Leo and Luna started to cry simultaneously. In tiny, shortened breaths, they each sniffled many uncontrollable tears in and out, unable to stop themselves from showing such emotion.

Yusei, without thinking, went over to them and pulled them into his arms. He hugged them both, without a word.

"So, we're just supposed to stand idly by and watch Martha die, then?" Jack muttered under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. The twins' crying didn't help matters much in his opinion.

"Yeah," Crow added, "there's got to be something we can do, right?"

"I'm sorry, gentlemen," Dr. Smith said. "I will be in touch as soon as we prepare to settle Martha into some long-term care here at the hospital." With that, the doctor walked slowly toward the door and left the group alone, his white lab coat trailing behind him as he went.

"Martha," Jack said, "we're going to help get you out of here and get over this."

"No, Jack, that's not what I need right now," Martha explained. "Just let me rest, will you? I'm just so tired and weak."

Yusei pulled back after the twins calmed down. They watched Yusei start to head for the door. He carried with him a small duffle bag of things that Martha had given him back at the house, before they had left for the hospital.

"Are you okay?" Rally asked him. "Where are you going?"

Yusei stopped and lowered his gaze once more. "I just need time to think, that's all."

Without further explanation, he opened the door and walked out, making his way to the cafeteria.

Once he got there, the first person Yusei saw was Jeager. The clownish young man was so deep in thought that he had no idea Yusei had spotted him until he slammed his palm down, making Jeager jump, spilling coffee all over the table.

"Whoa!" Jeager yelled, glancing to the side to see that it was Yusei.

"Where's Godwin?" Yusei asked bluntly. He was in no mood now for niceties.

"No, 'Hello, how are you, Jeager'? Just demanding answers like always, huh, Yusei?"

"I need to know where Godwin is. He has promised help, and I need to see if he's good for his word."

"What's in it for me, if I tell you?" Jeager asked slyly.

"Well, the way I figure, if you tell me where Godwin is, I won't have to leave that little clown face of yours all bloody right here in the cafeteria. How's that for what's in it for you?"

Jeager laughed nervously. "You wouldn't hit a clown, would you?" He yelped when Yusei grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward. "Okay, okay! He's on the third floor in room 319!"

Yusei dropped the little man without a word, then turned and walked out, making his way to the elevator. As he walked down the sterile hallways of the hospital, he couldn't help but think of Martha, and especially everything she had told him about his past this morning, before all this with the cancer came to light. _Did that happen today? _Yusei wondered._ It seems like forever ago already. _

**_Yusei stared at the newspaper clipping and almost choked back a gasp of shock and disgust and disbelief. The headline on the crumpled, yellowing paper read in big, bold font: "MAN RAPED AND KILLED AT HOME. POLICE SAY THEY HAVE NO SUSPECT YET." Below the heading was a picture of a white sheet, under which was clearly a human body. There were stains on the covering, conceivably from blood. The caption went unread by Yusei, though... It was all too much to take. The man beneath the sheet was obviously his dad..._**

Yusei, who had been in a daze en route to the third floor, looked up, just before he ran into a man walking straight toward him.

"Well, hello, Yusei," Godwin said casually. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Yusei replied.

To be continued...


	45. Chapter 45

Heartaches

Chapter 45

By KellyQ

"A friend of mine is having some health problems right now," Godwin explained. "What are you doing here?"

Godwin and Yusei were standing in the cold, white hallway of the hospital.

"Looking for you," Yusei answered calmly, even though there was intense look in his eyes that held anger.

"Oh. Is that right?" Godwin responded.

"Yes. You promised to help me, and I'm here to see if you're man enough to follow through."

"Help with what, exactly?" Godwin pretended to be confused. Yusei stared at him even more intently. "Oh wait, I'm remembering vaguely. Something about..."

"Does the situation with Kiryu ring a bell?" Yusei reminded him.

"Oh yes. Have you found anything on the tape?" Godwin asked calmly.

Yusei didn't answer. He just reached into his bag and started fishing for something.

Godwin watched Yusei uncomfortably. He knew where this was headed, and he didn't want to have that discussion with Yusei right now, not here in the hospital while his brother was recovering from a stroke.

"No. But I found something," Yusei said pulling out the newspaper clipping. "Something that I'm sure you're familiar with, since you're part of the police force..."

Godwin just stared straight ahead, not knowing how to answer.

"Recognize this piece of news, Godwin?"

"Well..."

"I figured as much. Now, about that help …"

"I would suggest that you either place him in a group home or in a foster home," Godwin suggested, pulling out his cell phone when it beeped, and put it to his ear. "Yes? I'm coming. Don't worry about it."

Yusei narrowed his eyes as Godwin walked past him. A _Friend, huh? _He thought watching Godwin disappear around the corner. Yusei glanced down the opposite end. He made his way to Rudger's room and slowly opened the door, but he didn't go completely enter the room.

The sight before Yusei shook him to the core. Rudger lay in bed, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, and an I.V. taped to his arm. Looking closer, the older man was resting.

Yusei lowered his gaze, stepped back and closed the door soundlessly.

* * *

Yusei's friends, hand been waiting for him, looked up when they saw him making his way toward them. Yusei's expression hadn't changed since he found out that Rudger. Akiza (who joined them shortly after he left) studied him for a moment. She felt sorry for Yusei and the others. She knew how they felt about Martha. She was like a mother to them.

Rally ran up and hugged Yusei. "Yusei ...? Are you alright?"

Yusei just nodded his head, and that's when he noticed that Crow, Martha, and the twins were not present.

Yusei glanced down at Rally. "Why didn't you go home with Martha?" He asked.

Rally cringed a little, feeling bad. He didn't mean to be selfish. He didn't want to be sent away or lose his friends whom, he had just started to trust.

Trust, that was something that was hard for him to find in people. Rally adjusted his shawl and stared down at the floor. Yusei studied him for a moment before he knelt down and hugged him.

"I'm scared," Rally murmured, clutching on to Yusei, "I mean ... what's going to happen -"

"Have faith," Yusei murmured back. Rally nodded his head. "Things will come out alright." Yusei pulled back and rose to his feet.

"I can take him home," Akiza offered, stepping up placing her hands on Rally's shoulders. "He's staying at Martha's, right?" Yusei nodded his head. Rally glanced up at her; he had to admit that she was beautiful, and her soft touch was warm and safe.

Jack watched Yusei closely. He could tell that something was bothering Yusei besides Martha having cancer.

Once Akiza and Rally were out of earshot, Yusei lowered his gaze so that Jack couldn't see his eyes. After a moment, Jack finally spoke up.

"Spill it, Yusei! There's something else that Martha said to you that she didn't share with the rest of us!" Jack demanded, stepping right in front of his boyfriend.

Yusei cringed. The blond-haired teen glanced at the duffel bag, and he realized that it was Martha's.

In anger and jealously, Jack yanked the bag off Yusei's shoulders. The spiky-haired teen landed on the floor with a light thud. Yusei sat up, wrapped his arms around his knees, and rested his head between his knees. Yusei wasn't in the mood to fight; he was still shocked at all the news; it made his stomach turn with sorrow, guilt, and disgust.

Jack glanced down at his boyfriend and stepped up. He casually placed the bag next to Yusei, and knelt in front of him. Jack reached out and gently rubbed Yusei's hips.

"I ... I feel so helpless ..." Yusei murmured allowing his emotions to surface.

"What did Martha say?" Jack asked quietly.

He moved back so Yusei could unzip the duffle bag and pull out a newspaper clipping. Jack took it and glanced at it as he rose to his feet.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like punching Godwin's face for letting who ever did something disgusting - like rape - slide.

Once again, Jack's anger clouded his judgment. He turned and ran out of the hospital, with Yusei hot on his trail his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Jack, stop!" Yusei called out.

He knew what his boyfriend was going to do, and he didn't want Jack to make some wrong choices like he had done in the past.

Yusei managed to step in front of Jack with his arms outstretched, preventing him from getting on his motorcycle. The look in Yusei's eyes snapped Jack out of his anger, and realization sank in.

"I'm just as upset if not more about what happened to my father!" Yusei said, seeing that he got Jack's attention. "But rushing headlong won't help anything! You should know that by now!"

They weren't the only ones upset about what was going on; Rally sat in the passenger seat, staring down and playing with the end of his shawl nervously. He rolled and unrolled the end of it over and over.

Akiza gave Rally a sideways glance. She reached out and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Sorry ..." Rally said, sinking further down the chair, thinking that Akzia was annoyed that he was doing the same thing repeatedly.

"Don't be. It's natural to feel scared," Akiza said, running her thumb along Rally's knuckles, "but have faith that things will be alright."

Rally nodded his head, pulled his hand away, and glanced out the window; then he turned his hazel eyes back to Akiza, taking in her beautiful features.

"So ... uh ... you're friends with Yusei, right?" Rally asked, making light conversation.

Akiza smiled. "We're close friends."

"What about Jack?" Rally wanted to know about the blonde teen.

"We're friends ... maybe not as close as I am with Yusei, but I respect him," she answered causally.

It was Rally's turn to nod his head. "I know what you mean. Jack's not that bad, even though he could lighten up when it comes to Yusei."

Akiza shook her head knowing from her own personal experience how possessive Jack got when it came to Yusei.

"Jack may have a loud personality, but he means well and doesn't want Yusei to get hurt," Akiza explained, "even though he doesn't want to show it at times when people are around ..."

**_Akiza dashed down the hospital hallway. When she heard that Yusei was in the hospital, because he almost drowned, she hopped on her bike and road all the way there. _**

**_Crow, Jack, and Martha turned when she burst into the waiting room. _**

**_"What's going on? Is Yusei alright?" she asked in rush, glancing around the room, not paying notice that there were two twin children there. _**

**_They both had identical teal green hair. The girl's hair was pigtails_**. **_She went by the name of Luna. The boy's hair was pulled up in a high ponytail that bushed like a Pom-Pom. He went by the name of Leo. Luna wore a red shirt and her twin brother wore a blue shir_**t.

**_Martha was about to tell her what she knew when the door to the emergency room opened and Doctor Smith walked out, with a grim look on his face. _**

**_"He's in a coma right now," he explained. "His lungs are damaged, and it's going to take a while before he heals - like his hearing and eye sight." The room fell silent. "These two managed to save him before he completely drowned." _**

**_Akizai glanced at the twins walked over to them and hugged them. _**

**_"What was he doing at an abandoned water house anyways?" Jack growled, trying to mask his concern with anger. _**

**_Akiza pulled back and her expression changed to a frown. That was a good question. _**

**_"Now that I think about it," Luna spoke up. "He wasn't alone ... someone was with him ... I think it was that famous psychiatrist – Sayer. He also had a gun ..." _**

**_Everyone, but the twins gasped in horror. Akiza's eyes clouded over with sadness and disbelief. _**

**_Jack tensed up and growled. He turned and rammed his fist into the wall, wanting to scold Yusei for doing something stupid. _**

"Akiza?" Rally called out, seeing that she had spaced out soon after they had arrived at Martha's.

"I'm fine," Akiza reassured, realizing that she spaced out.

Rally nodded his head and got out of the car, and noticed that Akiza had yet to park the vehicle.

"You're not going to come in?" Rally inquired.

"I wish I could, but I need to go back to work, and tell Luna I said _hi, _okay?" Akiza requested.

Rally nodded his head, stepped back and closed the door. He turned and walked back inside to see Leo standing there, tapping his foot and with a scowl on his face.

"Why didn't you come back with us?" Leo asked. Rally flinched and cringed. He didn't think it mattered if he stayed behind or not.

"I'm sorry," the curly-haired boy murmured. He lowered his gaze so that Leo coudn't see his eyes. "I just wanted to make sure that Yusei was alright. He looked really sad and torn ... I had to make sure that he was alright."

"You don't have to worry about him! He's tough! It's going to take a lot to shake him!" Leo explained, dismissing the fact that Yusei was more upset than he was leading on.

To Be Continued ...


	46. Chapter 46

Heartaches

Chapter 46

By KellyQ

Crow came back to the hospital on Yusei's motorcycle, so he could get home if he needed, and walked into Kiryu's room. The nurse was trying to get him to say some words.

"What's going on?" Crow asked.

"I'm trying to teach him to talk properly," the nurse explained.

Crow raised a questioning brow, but smiled.

Kiryu turned his head and smiled. "Crow! Nurse here. A friend."

"So. What's going on with Martha?" the nurse asked.

"She has cancer, and there's nothing Doctor Smith can do to save her," Crow explained, looking depressed.

Kiryu frowned. "Ma ...?"

The nurse chuckled. "No. Say, Mar-tha."

"Ma ..." he said, giggling. Kiryu was having fun watching the nurse's facial expression when she got irritated.

Crow rolled his eyes. "I've tried to teach him how to say people's names properly, and so far he'll say it right when he wants to."

The nurse rose to her feet, shook her head, and made her way out the door. "Call again if you need anything."

* * *

Yusei placed Martha's duffel bag on the table and sat down. His forehead rested against his clasped fingers, and a few tears dripped off his chin. He never felt so helpless and scared in his life.

Yusei sat there until the door opened and Mina and Trudge walked in as far as the living room.

_"Thanks for taking me out to eat and for the chocolate," _came Mina's voice.

Yusei straightened up, wiped the tears from his face, and turned to see Mina walk up.

"How was the outing?" Yusei asked, trying to sound casual, watching her put her boxes of leftovers and chocolate in the fridge.

Mina turned and noticed a distant look in Yusei's eyes. "Mr Fudo ... are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Yusei answered quietly. He got to his feet, grabbed Martha's bag and made his way out, but he stopped. "I'm glad that things are going well for you."

Mina blinked, wondering where that came from. She watched him make his way to Jack's room. He opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind him.

Mina bit her lip, wondering if there was something bothering him. She took a few steps toward the door, but she came to sudden halt when she felt something was off.

**_"Why!" _**came Yusei's muffled voice, full of anger and sadness. Mina flinched in shock, and her eyes widened. **_"Damn it! Why!" _**A sob followed after.

Mina stood there until the front door opened. She turned and ran to the entrance to see Jack taking his shoes off.

"Jack-!"

He looked up and was about to ask what the fuss was all about, when a faint sobbing sound reached his ears. Jack straitened up and narrowed his eyes at Mina. She cringed at the look the blonde-haired teen gave her.

"He looked like he was crying even before I got here!" Mina shared.

Jack sighed and closed his eyes, trying to suppress the feeling in his heart. He hated it when Yusei was hurt it pained him.

"Martha's dying of cancer," Jack finally spoke quietly, "and finding out how his parents were killed ..."

Mina lowered her gaze as Jack walked past her. She turned and watched him walk toward his room. _Oh, Jack ... _she thought, feeling a pang for him.

He opened the door to see Yusei sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed. He had brought his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around his legs, and buried his face between his legs.

Jack sighed and knelt in front of his boyfriend, and ran his hands along Yusei's hips.

"I ... I found Rudger when I left Doctor Smith's office, and Godwin," Yusei murmured. He lifted his head, and Jack flinched lightly when he saw tears sliding down his cheeks. "I ... don't know what to do anymore. I just wish there was a way to fix it, you know?"

"Does Crow know?" Jack asked. Yusei lowered his gaze and shook his head. Jack got to his feet and helped his boyfriend up. "Go wash up, and we'll head back to the hospital ... Crow needs to know what's going on."

_Jack's right, _Yusei thought, making his way to the bathroom and closing the door. He lowered his gaze after he turned the tap on. He splashed water on his face, straightened up, and grabbed the towel to wipe his face. _We're__ all in this together as a family, _he thought, hanging the towel back. Yusei turned and walked out to see Martha's duffel bag over Jack's shoulder. He felt a little uncomfortable noticing his boyfriend carrying the bag.

"It has my father's diary ... can I have it back?" Yusei murmured, not making eye contact with his boyfriend.

Jack stepped up, removed the strap from his shoulder, and placed it over Yusie's head, making sure it hung properly.

"When I was with Carly, it made me realize something," Jack said, running his knuckles along Yusei's check, "friendship and love are important things to have." He looked into Yusei's eyes, before he kissed him. "One important individual taught me that."

A small smile made its way to Yusei's lips as he watched his boyfriend walk out.

"Thanks, Jack ..."

To Be Continued ...


	47. Chapter 47

Heartaches

Chapter 47

By KellyQ

When Jack and Yusei made it to the hospital, Kiryu was happy to see Yusei. He wrapped his good arm around him and fell back with Yusei's upper body on top of him.

"Yus. Bed."

"I wish I could sit with you," Yusei said, trying to slip out of Kiryu's harsh grip. A disapproving sound came from the back of the crippled teens throat. Yusei winced as he tightened his grip. "Kiryu, that hurts ... let go!"

Kiryu shook his head. "No! Yus! Stay!"

Crow reached out and placed his hand on Kiryu's arm. "Kiryu, you need to let go, you're hurting him."

Gradually, Kiryu let go of Yusei as he straightened up. Crow was about to ask questions when the door opened and Kiryu's Doctor came in with a clip bord in his hand.

"I have some news," he said. "Kiryu's legal Guardian, Rudger Godwin, had a stroke two days ago. Kiryu will either have to be placed in a group home or Foster care, because Rudger can no longer care for him."

The room was silent...

**_"I would suggest that you either place him in a group home or in a foster home," Godwin suggested, pulling out his cell phone when it beeped, and put it to his ear. "Yes? I'm coming. Don't worry about it." _**

**_Yusei_****_ narrowed his eyes watching Godwin walk past him. A friend, huh? he thought. Yusei glanced down the hallway. He made his way to the room and slowly opened the door. _**

**_The sight before Yusei shook him to the core. Rudger lay in bed, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, and taped to arm. On closer look, the older man was resting. _**

**_Yusei_****_ lowered his gaze stepped back and closed the door soundlessly. _**

"Rudger ..." Kiryu said, snapping Yusei out of his memory.

"No! I'll be the one to take care of him!" Crow blurted out.

The Doctor sighed. "You don't qualify for that."

Anger welled up within Crow. He wasn't going to be separated from Kiryu.

The crippled teen tilted his head. "Crow?"

"Just because I don't have any documents to work with him, doesn't mean I don't know how! I've worked with disabled kids before! Besides, he's my friend, and I love him!" Crow explained in a rush.

The Doctor sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but if you can't handle the responsibility. He's going straight to one of those places, is that understood?"

Crow nodded his head as Kiryu leaned against him and smiled. Kiryu's doctor turned and walked out, saying that he was going to come back with some paperwork.

"Kiryu. Love. Crow. Kiryu is happy." he smiled.

"Yeah ... I love you, too," Crow said softly, rubbing his back.

"I know what room he's in," Yusei said, placing the bag on the bed. He pulled out Hakase's diary. The cover got Jack's, and Crow's attention, even Kiryu's. He reached out and patted it. "Yep. That's a book."

"I like the cover," Crow commented.

"That's your dad's diary isn't it?" Jack said, glancing at it.

Yusei nodded his head. "Yeah ... I skimmed a few pages and Rudger did a lot for my father ..."

Kiryu tilted his head. "Rudger is friend?"

"Rudger was a friend," Crow corrected.

Kiryu blinked and glanced at his two friends, and his eyes fell upon Jack. Kiryu blinked again.

"Friend?"

"Yep. He's a friend. It's Jack," Crow informed, rubbing Kiryu's back.

"Jack ... is. A. Friend." Kiryu smiled at him. Jack didn't know how to respond to that, since they never got along when he and Yusei became a couple.

Kiryu became violent and unbearable to be around after that. It was as if a completely new side of him was born. At the time, Yusei tried countless times to reason with Kiryu, but the result always ended with Yusei getting beat up. Crow and the others tried to get Yusei to get a restraining order on Kiryu so that he wouldn't get hurt any further than he was.

Martha offend shook her head when Yusei didn't want to go that far. She knew that he was trying to help Kiryu understand why he chose Jack, but it never worked.

Jack grunted in response. "Fine. Whatever you want."

"Jack ... he doesn't know any better," Crow scolded lightly. "So, what's the plan, Yusei?"

He lowered his gaze, putting Hakase's diary back in the bag. "I just want some answers why Godwin didn't find who killed my parents ... and why Rudger hates me when I didn't do anything."

"Of course you haven't done anything! Rudger was probably jealous that your father had everything he didn't!" Crow pointed out, hoping that what he said made Yusei feel better.

"Y-you think so?" Yusei said, snapping his head up to look at his red-haired friend.

"Look at it this way: all four of us wouldn't be standing here today, right? So some bad things lead to good things!" Crow reasoned.

Kiryu reached for the duffel bag, but Yusei moved the bag out of his reach.

"You're right ..." Yusei said, as a disapproving sound came from the back of Kiryu's throat when he tried to reach for the bag. "Sorry ... but that's not yours."

"Book. Is. pretty," Kiryu said with a disappointing look on his face.

A small smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "Thanks, pal, it it's mine."

"So, what are we going to do?" Jack asked, feeling a little reckless. He still wanted to confront Godwin, but Crow did make a valid point: some bad things lead to good things.

"From what I've also read - my father did love Rudger until he met my mom, and I came into the picture ... things fell apart after that ..."

Yusei paused for a moment before something clicked - the newspaper clipping and the diary. Rudger was the possible one who killed his mother and raped his father after he killed him.

Kiryu reached out and poked Yusei on the cheek, snapping him out of thoughts. "Smile. Okay?"

"So, what's the plan?" Jack asked again.

Yusei glanced at the door and his left hand balled into a hard fist. "Rudger may have done some damage, but if he knew the truth then he'd understand and repent for the wrongs he did."

"That's crazy talk, Yusei!" Crow said. "What makes you think that Rudger would listen? We know that Rudger doesn't even care who he hurts! Take a look at Kiryu! He used him to get to you!"

Yusei lowered his gaze and cringed. "I know that," he said quietly, feeling responsible for what happened. _And__ I'm going to fix things! _Yusei thought. "But Rudger should know the truth just like I had to know the truth."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Jack asked.

"I still think it's crazy!" Crow said bluntly, watching Yusei nod his head before walking out, "but if you want to do that, who am I to stop you?" Crow shook his head after Yusei walked out. "He's a bigger person than the three of us combined." Jack gave Crow a look. He rolled his eyes. "I'm saying that he has a bigger heart than all of us."

To Be Continued ...


	48. Chapter 48

Heartaches

Chapter 48

By KellyQ

The next day Yusei made his way to the third floor toward Rudger's room. He walked past a heavyset police officer that was two feet taller than him. He had a full beard, mustache, and dark skin. He went by the name of Armstrong. The other officer (that was standing on Armstrong's left) was a few centimeters taller than Yusei.

"Hold it, _schoolgirl_!" Armstrong called out.

Yusei lowered his gaze and continued to walk. The policeman turned and whacked Yusei on the back of the head. A moan escaped the back of Yusei's throat as he landed on the cold floor. The strap to Martha's duffel bag slid off his shoulders, and it landed a few feet away.

"I told you to stop, and I expect to be obeyed, schoolgirl!"

Armstrong's henchmen stepped up and grabbed the bag. Yusei growled and reached for the items, but Armstrong twisted Yusei's arm back and pulled him so that he was standing . Yusei was slammed against the wall, and he moaned in pain. A thin line of blood trickled from the scratches on his forehead, down his face and into his eye. A thin line of blood also came down his nose.

"It's just an old diary, sir," Armstrong's henchmen said, holding it up to show the two pictures.

Armstrong glanced at the book and laughed. "Godwin told me to watch out for you …," he said, leaning in.

Yusei grunted in disgust when he felt Armstrong's large hand stroke in between Yusei's inner legs seductively, digging his nails through his jeans. Yusei winced and held his breath, _this guy is worse than Trudge! _He thought, knowing where this situation was heading.

"Armstrong!" Came Godwin's voice.

They turned their heads to see him walk up. Armstrong straightened up pulled Yusei away from the wall, and pushed him toward Godwin's direction, spanking Yusei hard enough across the butt, making him land on the floor. Armstrong's henchmen walked up and handed the diary over to Godwin.

"I'll take things from here, Armstrong," Godwin said, not sounding thrilled.

"Sir …?"

"It's obvious that you haven't eaten yet," Godwin cut in. "Now go."

Armstrong grumbled out of disappointment. He and his henchmen turned and walked down the hallway. "I'll be watching you, _schoolgirl_."

By this point, Yusei had slowly mange to stand, rubbing his sore arm. He gave Godwin a glare, as he wiped the blood off his lip and cheek.

"Don't give me that," Godwin said to Yusei in a sharp tone. "I just saved you from getting hurt ..."

_Rape is more like it, _Yusei thought. "I need to talk to Rudger."

Godwin held Hakase's diary up and glanced at it before he looked at Yusei. Godwin sighed knowing that there was no way to get around this one now that everything was in the open.

"Get cleaned up. You can see my brother tomorrow," Godwin said walking up, thrusting the diary back to Yusei.

"What happened?" Yusei asked, stepping off to the side, so that the older man could walk ahead of him.

Godwin took a few steps and stopped. "How my brother ended up with a stroke? Or how my brother_ took_ Hakase?"

The thought still made Yusei sick. "No. It's with the choice _you_ made not getting your brother help at the time."

Godwin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to suppress the feeling in his heart. "All I did was support my brother when he needed it."

Yusei lowered his gaze, knowing that it was pointless to get the truth. _It shouldn't really matter. It happened 20 years ago, _Yusei thought, clutching the only thing that had answers.

"But I will say this: Hakase was Rudger's first and only love," Godwin pointed out, before he continued to walk away.

Yusei flinched in shock and dropped the book, before he glanced at the older man. Yusei lowered his gaze again. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a quiet tone.

Godwin stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Yusei standing there, clutching Hakase's diary. His head was lowered so that Godwin couldn't see his eyes. The sight was rather pitiful.

"Just get cleaned up," Godwin grumbled, knowing that he was going to hear **_Yusei's mine - no one's aloud to touch him, but me! _**lecture when Jack would see the scratches on Yusei's face.

Yusei quietly walked over to Martha's bag, picked it up and followed Godwin to the elevator. Once they got to the main floor, Carly was just walking toward them. She raised her eyebrow at the sight of Yusei.

"Miss Carbine, help clean Yusei up before he goes," Godwin spoke up, getting her attention.

Carly flinched. "I don't think ..."

"It's fine, Carly," Yusei cut in quietly. "I don't mind."

"Wha -?" Carly was shocked. _Jack would kill me if I lay one finger on him! _

By this point, Godwin had walked out of the hospital.

"Uh ... I'll be happy to show you where the nurse's office is, and they'll help you out," Carly offered. She didn't want to get yelled at. _But wait, _she thought. _Maybe I can get Yusei to tell me about Jack! _"Follow me. I'll get you cleaned up."

"Thanks."

* * *

The two walked into a spacious room. There was a chair in the center, a sink on one side, and a flat computer screen on the other. Yusei walked to the sink. He took off his gloves, turned the tap on. Yusei waited for a moment to stick his finger, feeling the water was nice and warm.

Carly walked over to the cabinet, and pulled out the first aid kit. She turned to see Yusei put his glove in and started to wash the blood off.

"Uh ... shouldn't we take care of your face first? I mean ... Jack's not going to to be happy that you ended up in a fight with Godwin."

Yusei sighed, turned the tap off, walked over to the chair, and sat down. He closed his eyes allowing Carly to start cleaning the scratches on his forehead.

"What happened?" Carly asked, making light conversation.

Yusei winced when she rubbed on the scratches with alcohol. "Nothing. Godwin has someone looking out for his brother ..."

"What did you do to get the person to hit you?" Carly asked.

"Like I said, it was nothing. The new guard likes to be a little _personal_," Yusei explained.

Carly remained quiet as she continued to clean the scrapes.

To Be Continued ...


	49. Chapter 49

Heartaches

Chapter 49

By KellyQ

Carly pulled back when she was done cleaning the scratches on Yusei's face. "Anywhere else that hurts?" she asked, pulling off her Latex gloves.

"My shoulder, but I can take care of that," Yusei answered quietly. He rose to his feet, placed his hand on the edge of his shoulder, and pushed it in.

Carly just watched with slight fear and awe when she heard his bones come together. Carly winced. _Was it dislocated? _She thought watching Yusei rub his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," Yusei answered quietly, "and thanks for helping."

Carly bit her lip. "Sure. We could be friends, too, right?"

A light smile made its way to Yusei's lips. He walked up and grabbed his bag. "I don't mind ... any friend of Jack is a friend of mine."

Carly slowly nodded her head. "Uh ... how did you and Jack end up together?"

Before Yusei was going to share a little, his cell phone beeped. _Good. Saved. I wasn't ready to tell her how we got together anyways, _Yusei thought, feeling a little paranoid. "Thanks for the help and when I have time, or if Jack does, you'll get some questions answered."

All Carly did was nod her head and watch Yusei walk out. _That went .. well, _she thought. Carly had hoped to keep Yusei long enough to get him to talk about Jack. _Maybe I should just let things be like Misty suggested. _A smile made its way to Carly's lips and she felt her cheeks turn pink. Carly shook her head. She didn't have time to think about her. Carly still had a job to do.

Stepping out of the office, Carly made her way to the front desk just to see Yusei getting off his cell phone. The look on Yusei's face was grim and he looked tense. He walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, allowing his body to hunch over. Yusei's cell phone dropped to the floor with a clang, and he rested his elbow's on his knees, bringing his hands to his face.

It wasn't long before Carly saw Yusei shake and tears dripping off his chin. Carly bit her lip, wondering what she should do. She was about to make her way over when movement caught her eye. Carly turned her head to see Crow run up with Akiza following close behind.

"Carly! Go get room 224 on the second floor ready! We have a new patient!"

It took a moment for Carly to even register that Akiza was getting her attention. She blinked a few times before it clicked. Carly turned and ran down the hallway to get the room ready. _I wonder who the patient is? _She thought, putting on some Latex gloves again and getting things ready.

Once she was done, Carly made her way back to the front desk. The sight before her was shocking. Three kids, Jack, Mina, Trudge; and Crow and few nameless faces that she had never seen before. Who were, Aero, Blister, Rally and the twins.

"Is the room all set?" Akzia asked, turning to face her.

Carly nodded her head. "Yeah. But what's going on?"

"Martha fell when she was helping some of the kids clean their rooms," Akiza explained.

Behind Carly's thick spiral glasses, her green eyes widened. _She fell? How can that be! _By this point, the kids were crying louder, saying that it was their fault for even asking.

Carly bit her lip, stepped up and knelt in front of the kids. "It wasn't your fault."

"What if she never gets out of bed again?" The child wailed. "I know that she's sick, but I don't want her to -"

"That's enough!" Jack barked, startling everyone. "Stop crying and grow up!"

He had been trying to tune the kids out and focus on Yusei and his sore arm. With everything going on, it was hard not to, especially when the kid was about to say that Martha was going to die. Jack didn't want to picture that. It was hard enough to see the sweet old woman in a world of pain and there wasn't anything he could do.

"What he means is that Martha's going to be alright once she rests," Yusei said, hoping that his words comforted the kids.

* * *

Martha slowly opened her eyes, feeling that she couldn't breathe easily. Her back hurt and her head throbbed. An oxygen mask was over her face to help her breath. Martha knew that she was in the hospital. She slowly turned her head to see Doctor Smith checking things over.

After a moment of silence, a sound of patting feet moving down the hallway reached their ears. Martha smiled sadly when the kids came rushing in. The three kids, Jon, Mitch, and Taka ran to the right side of the bed, balling again. The others came in a second later.

Doctor Smith could tell that it was a little too much for Martha to have everyone look at her in the state she was in now.

"We should let her rest," Doctor Smith said, shooing everyone out. "When things calm down, I'll let you guys see her."

They all grimly nodded their heads, before walking out. The group made their way back to the lobby. The kids were crying again. The twins looked depressed, and Rally was beside himself with worry.

"How about I take the kids out for some ice cream," Aero suggested.

"We have some ice cream here," Carly informed.

Akiza shook her head. "I don't think the kids want one flavored ice cream."

"Going to an ice cream parlor does sound like fun," Jon spoke up. The other two boys nodded their heads.

Aero smiled. "Then it's decided." He turned and made his way to his small car. The other three kids followed.

Leo cheered. "Alright! Hot Fudge Sundae, here I come!" He bolted out the door, but stopped when he realized that his sister and Rally didn't follow him right away. "Aren't you guys coming?" he asked Rally and Luna, turning to face them.

Leo chuckled when he saw Rally hesitate. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you haven't had ice cream before?"

"That's not it," Rally spoke up quietly, a troubled look on his face. "I want to stay with Martha." All eyes were on him. Rally turned to look at Yusei. "Can I stay and help out?"

Yusei knelt down and placed a hand on Rally's shoulder. "It's not safe right now, and I don't think Doctor Smith would like someone lingering out in the hallway."

"I could look after her," Carly offered. Everyone stared at her strangely. Leo burst out laughing, and Carly started to feel embarrassed.

"You didn't know that Rally was a boy?" Leo asked in between laughs. Luna moved behind her brother and hit him on the back of the head with her hardened fist. "Ow! Why'd you do that for?"

Carly gasped in shock. She stared at Rally and that's when she noticed that she was a he.

"I'm sorry about that!" Carly apologized. "I had no idea."

This point, Yusei had stood up and moved back.

Rally smiled. "It's okay," he reassured. He averted his attention back to Yusei. "Are you sure that I can't help. I mean … I can help protect you so you don't get hurt any further than you have!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Yusei can take care of himself! Now come on! Let's get some ice cream!"

Without warning, Leo grabbed Rally and dragged him down to the parking lot.

Blister shook his head. "I better getting going … but are you sure you're going to be alright?" Blister asked Yusei, noticing that his friend was holding his arm to his chest, and a small strip of cloth was taped on the side of his forehead.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Yusei answered, quietly. Blister nodded, turned to follow Leo, Luna and Rally.

"I can give you something for pain," Carly offered, remembering that Yusei's arm was dislocated, and he had popped back in place.

"Don't you think you've done enough damage, Miss, Carbine?" Mina spoke up for the first time since she and Trudge had arrived. The housekeeper had a sour look on her face, and anger was in her eyes.

Carly turned to face Mina. "You again?" she frowned. "I don't know what your problem is, but I'm just trying to help! Yusei hurt his arm and I want to make sure he's okay!"

" 'Make sure he's okay'? As if!" Mina fumed, getting into Carly's face. "You're trying to break Mr. Atlus and Mr. Fudo up by making sure that Mr. Fudo is crippled!"

"For your information – miss - _I hacked into Godwin's file and found that Rudger had beaten and raped Hakase –_"

"When did this happen?" Jack cut in sharply, giving Mina a piercing look.

The young housekeeper flinched and stepped back. "I ...I'm only looking out for you and Mr. Fudo!" she said in a rush, bowing.

Everyone was so focused on Mina they had forgotten that Yusei just heard _who_ raped his father. It made him feel even sicker that Rudger was the one who did it, and Godwin didn't do anything to make his brother pay for his sins.

Crow glanced and saw that his friend was in shock and seemed to hold his breath. Crow's eyes widened when Yusei dropped to his hands and knees, and started to cough up blood.

"Yusei!" Crow cried with fear laced in his voice.

To Be Continued …


	50. Chapter 50

Heartaches

Chapter 50

By KellyQ

Crow's outburst had their attention on Yusei when he started to cough up blood. Akiza took him back in the nurse's office leaving the others in the waiting room. Yusei sat on the examination table. Akiza had him take his coat and shirt off so Doctor Smith could figure out what happened.

"You're fine ... other than being under a lot of stress, Yusei. And be careful of that arm for a while."

Yusei nodded as he kept his head down. "Is Martha going to be okay?" he asked Doctor Smith quietly.

The old man glanced at Yusei for a moment. "She broke her left hip, and sprained her right ankle."

By this point, Akiza was putting gauze around Yusei's bruised wrist.

"Is Martha strong enough to have surgery?" Yusei asked.

"She could, but that could cause the cancer to spread," Doctor Smith explained, referring to Martha's hip.

Yusei lowered his gaze even more, feeling powerless about the whole situation. The last thing he wanted was to see her like this.

Yusei wasn't the only one, Jack and Crow felt the same way. They were now waiting to hear about Yusei. Mina glanced at the door, hoping that Yusei was alright.

"I'm sure that Yusei will be alright," Carly reassured Jack. The two were sitting next to each other. "He's probably under some stress right now, with Martha falling and Kiryu hitting his head, and Yusei being attacked by one of Godwin's guards."

"Did Yusei say who?" Jack asked, giving her his full attention. When the others heard him speak, they paid attention, too.

Carly shook her head. "No. But judging when I was cleaning his face, Yusei did seem a little tense."

Just at that moment, the door opened and Doctor Smith walked out. The others got up.

"Is Yusei going to be alright?" Crow asked. He needed to apologize for keeping some things from Yusei.

"I'm going to be fine," came Yusei's voice. Doctor Smith stepped to the side so that Yusei could reunite with his friends. He arm was in a sling, and his dark-blue jacket was draped over his shoulders. Yusei was first to notice the distant look in Crow's eyes. "Are you okay?" Yusei asked.

"I know you've always wanted to know where your parents went and stuff. I wanted to know too, so I dug up some stuff too. Sorry that I didn't tell you sooner," Crow shared, not making eye contact with his childhood friend.

Yusei stepped up and placed a comforting hand on Crow's shoulder. Their eyes met. "Don't worry about it, Crow. I would've done the same thing for you too," he said, concluding that Crow kept quiet to keep him safe.

"How long is Martha going to be here?" Crow asked Doctor Smith.

Yusei lowered his gaze and wrapped his arm around Crow in a comforting faction. "Martha broke her hip and sprained her ankle," Yusei informed. "She's going to have to be placed in a nursing home …."

Everyone, accept Doctor Smith and Akiza were shocked. Crow pulled out of Yusei's arm and turned to face Martha's doctor.

"She doesn't need to be placed in those crummy places! If it's 24 hour care she needs, I'll be happy to move back …!"

Doctor Smith sighed. "I know it's a shock, and a lot to take in," he cut in, "but she'll need to be placed in one."

Crow looked away. "What about the kids? What's going to happen to them?"

"That hasn't been decided yet," Doctor Smith informed, "but it's going to have to be done soon, unless Martha feels that you can take over," he said to Crow, who nodded. "So I'd suggest that you start looking soon."

Yusei, Jack, and Crow nodded their heads. With nothing else to discuss, Doctor Smith walked off. Crow turned and was about to slam his hardened fist into the wall, but Akiza stopped him. They glanced at each other, and after a moment, Crow hung his head in defeat.

Yusei stepped behind Crow and wrapped his arm around his old friend. "I better get back to Kiryu," Crow said, pulling out of Yusei's arm and started walking to the elevator.

Once he was on, and the door closed, Crow leaned against the wall. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears that were now dripping off his chin.

The elevator door opened one moment later and Crow stepped out, wiping the tears off his face. He made his way to the bathroom. He turned the tap on and washed his face. Once that was done, he walked out and headed to Kiryu's room.

* * *

The crippled teen smiled when Crow walked in. Kiryu's Doctor was checking things over, and there was a peach colored folder at the end of the bed. Crow bit his lip, hoping that he was going to take Kiryu in.

"The folder there is yours. You'll be looking after Kiryu from now on ..." Crow's face lit up. "But if you can't, he'll have to be placed in a foster care. Is that understood?"

Crow nodded his head and shook the Doctor's hand. "Thanks. I'll take good care of Kiryu."

Kiryu's Doctor shrugged it off and walked out, closing the door behind him.

To Be Continued ...


	51. Chapter 51

Heartaches

Chapter 51

By KellyQ

Mina glanced at the group after Crow left. "I can start looking for some places for Martha, or a place for the kids."

Trudge sighed. "I guess I have no choice. I'll drive you around, Mina." The young housekeeper nodded her head.

"Don't worry about it," Yusei finally spoke up for the first time after Crow left. "Crow and I will figure things out." Yusei turned and walked out the door.

Mina turned and gave Carly a sour look. "Now look at what you've done! If you hadn't blurted out that I did a background check, Mr. Atlus and Mr. Fudo would trust me!"

"Knock it off you two!" Jack demanded, showing anger and irritation in his expression. "The one who needs to have their ass kicked is Godwin and his brother!" Everyone but Akiza flinched at Jack's intense anger that radiated off his body.

Trudge was the first to calm down. "I've never really trusted Godwin," he spoke up for the first time since they arrived at the hospital.

"Neither have I," Carly said, agreeing with Trudge. "He tricked me in into thinking that I had a chance with Jack when was already going out with Yusei."

A smile made its way to Akiza's lips. She had to admit that Carly was a nice person, and the last e-mail she got from Misty showed that Carly had changed in the past two days.

"Now what?" Trudge asked, snapping Akiza from her thoughts. "It's not like we can really arrest Godwin without proper evidence. Besides that was like ..." he paused, glancing at Mina, "20 years ago, right?"

"There's not a whole lot we can do," Akiza pointed out. "Yusei has to be the one to make the choice about how he wants to take care of this situation."

* * *

Yusei made his way to the bus stop, and he waited 3 minutes for it before he climbed on. Yusei rode it until he came to the racetrack where he left his motorcycle.

Yusei made his way to the grudge to see a tall teen eyeing his bike. The teen had blue hair that came down his face like a bellflower that been clipped down the sides. He wore a blue shirt with one white stripe across it. His blue, yellow and white jacket was short, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He also had on dark blue jeans and red sneakers.

This teen went by the name of Bruno. Yusei couldn't see his face with his back turned. _I wonder what he's staring at? _Yusei thought, making his way over.

"Can I help you?" Yusei asked causally.

Bruno jumped out of fear and turned. His emotionless brown eyes didn't show anything, but Yusei could tell that he scared him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Yusei apologized. "Are you lost? If you would like to register, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

"I think I'm registered … but I don't remember doing it, that's the problem," Bruno said, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Yusei frowned. "Do you have a last name? I have my laptop with me, we can check if you're registered or not."

Bruno laughed nervously. "I don't remember that either! But my name is Bruno … if that's what you're asking."

Yusei blinked a few times, but smiled and extended his hand for Bruno, who took it. "Yusei … Yusei Fudo."

Bruno nodded his head and smiled, letting Yusei's hand go. He turned and glanced down at the red Motorcycle. "Is this bike yours?"

"It may look like scrap, but I'm working on it," Yusei said, making his way to the other side, setting his bag down.

"Maybe for someone who doesn't see the beauty in creating something with your own two hands it's considered junk," Bruno said, running the tips of his fingers along the seat.

"I know how you feel," Yusei spoke up. Bruno glanced up to see him grabbing his toolbox. "I like building things," Yusei shared. He walked back to his motorcycle. "Especially when it comes to helping people."

"I'm like that, too!" Bruno shared as well. "That's why I was eyeing your bike. I was going to make some few adjustments, but it's a good thing you stopped me otherwise I would've gotten in trouble."

Yusei blinked in confusion. "In trouble for what?"

"In trouble for touching what doesn't belong to him!" came a high sassy male voice that held anger and frustration.

Bruno cringed. Yusei looked over Bruno's shoulder to see a teen standing there. He had milky white skin, and a piece of metal that covered his left side of his face. The right side was untouched, but an ugly gray scar that ran down his right cheek. His red eye didn't hold any emotion. A white shawl was draped over his head, covering his gray spiky hair. His outfit of full spandex, an open skirt, and long arm warmers, was all white and gray. This teen went by the name Primo.

"Now get over here!" He ordered. Bruno hung his head, turned and made his way over. Primo growled and slapped him across the face. "What have I told you about wandering off, and talking to strangers?"

Bruno rubbed his cheek, as Yusei narrowed his eyes. "Bruno wasn't bothering me," Yusei stated.

Primo glanced over Bruno's shoulder. "So, you're the _Master of Faster's _slut," he commented, emphasizing Jack's title with disgust, eyeing Yusei.

His blood ran cold, and he gave Primo an icy stare, but he didn't say anything. They both stared at each other, and finally Primo gave in.

"Fine. He can stay, but once you're done, you hand him back, is that understood?"

"Crystal," Yusei said in a sharp tone, walking up. He didn't like the fact that Primo wanted him to treat Bruno like some pet on a leash, and his expression showed it.

Primo turned and walked away; the tension in the air lifted and they both sighed of relief.

"Who was that?" Yusei asked, wanting answers. He pivoted to face Bruno.

"Primo. We're not exactly related, but he looks after me," he explained.

Yusei tilted his head in confusion. "Like a legal guardian?"

Bruno shook his head. "He found me after I had hit my head and took me in and helped me remember my name." Yusei nodded his head. "Anyways, shall we get started on your bike?"

* * *

They both pulled back after working on Yusei's motorcycle for about two hours.

"Thanks for the help," Yusei said, impressed with Bruno's skills with mechanics. The two were facing each other.

Bruno laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Don't mention it!" he paused for a moment to realize that there were smugges and dirt on Yusei's face.

Bruno grabbed the rag, using the clean side to scrub the stuff off of Yusei's cheek. "When you come back tomorrow, we can work more on it."

"I can't," Yusei said. He got up, grabbed his bag, placed the strap over his shoulder, and walked out. Bruno got up and followed him to the bus stop. "Urgent family business came up." By know Yusei was looking at the bus schedule that was plastered on the poll.

"Your dad's not beating you up, is he?" Bruno asked; concern laced in his voice as he concluded that was why Yusei's arm was in a sling.

Yusei lowered his gaze halfway. "My parents were killed 17 years ago. And the person who did it just had a stroke."

Bruno studied him for a moment to see pain in Yusei's eyes. Bruno lowered his gaze too, stepped behind Yusei and rested his forehead on the middle of his back as he placed his hands on his shoulders. They stayed like that until the bus came.

"When you're ready to come back, we'll finish repairing your bike," Bruno murmured. "And good luck."

To Be Continued …


	52. Chapter 52

Heartaches

Chapter 52

By Kellyq

The next day Yusei was able to make it to Rudger's room without any problems. He stood there, taking a deep breath. Yusei reached out, placed his hand around the handle and opened the door. Godwin was sitting next to his brother, holding his hand. Rudger slowly turned and Yusei's eyes widened. The right sighed of Ruder's face was scrunched up, and his eye was closed tightly.

Yusei bit his lip, and slowly walked up. He felt awkward being in their presence. _I wonder if my dad felt that way, _Yusei thought.

"Yusei here wants to talk to you," Godwin spoke up, getting his brother's attention. "He also has Hakase's diary as well."

Rudger glanced at Yusei who pulled the book out and placed it on his lap. Rudger eyed it before giving Yusei a look.

"I skimmed the book over and my parents did care about you," Yusei explained.

"Know the truth," Rudger pointed out. He didn't want to know how Hakase felt about him. It was clear that he didn't want him.

"It wasn't like that at all," Yusei tried to reason. "My father did love you … even after you got hurt when the lab exploded, he tried to show it, but he was scared because you changed."

"What's the point in all this?" Godwin cut in. "My brother already knew that Hakase chose Hana because she stole his heart."

"My father did care about Rudger! But when he was in the hospital for so long, he didn't know who else to turn to!"

"You know what? This was a mistake!" Godwin said, snatching the diary, trusting it back to Yusei. "Take this, and get out!"

"No!" Rudger cut in. "Diary is the truth."

"But Rudger …" Godwin paused; after a moment, he got up. "Call me if you need anything."

Yusei and Rudger watched him walk out, closing the door. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" Yusei asked, glancing back Rudger. He nodded his head. Yusei pulled up a chair and sat down. He opened the book to the third page and started to read aloud. "This is all new to me and I hope writing it will help. I'll start off explaining that I'm a scientist working on Quantum Physics. My main idea is to create new energy that's more affective and cheaper. Right now I'm looking for some help."

Rudger remembered how Hakase explained it to him, and that got him and Godwin eager to help.

Yusei glanced up to see that Rudger had spaced out. He waited until Rudger was ready to hear more. After a moment, he was ready. "I had a successful day. I hired two guys, Rudger and his brother Rex, as my assistance last week! They showed much promise. Rudger especially; he pointed things out that I didn't notice and that helped advance our research. We might have a prototype by next year!"

Rudger remembered how they met, and it was the first time he felt something. Yusei turned the page. "Things are progressing and I'm starting to think that Rudger is taking too much responsibility for the project. I tried to talk him out of taking so much, but he gave me a smile and told me that he didn't mind. I don't know what to make of it. It's almost like he wants to be my friend instead of lab partners." Yusei's eyes shifted up at Rudger. "Is that how it started out, or did you love my dad like Godwin said?"

Rudger glanced down for a moment. Yusei waited for a moment and figured that he wanted to talk, but couldn't bring out the right words. Yusei sighed and turned the page. "Rudger has been showing a lot of support with my ideas that the other people in the lab say 'won't work'. The main one is Yiliaster. He never showed interest in what I've been doing until I brought Rudger and his brother on board." Yusei paused for a moment. "Wasn't Yiliaster a wealthy business man that worked on Quantum Physics and Robotics?" Rudger nodded his head. _Then there's more to this than my dad knew!_ Yusei thought. He bit his lip, pondering if he should start asking questions about Yiliaster.

"Keep reading," Rudger insisted.

Yusei turned the page. "I've decided to take the day off and Rudger accompanied me around town. We walked around the park, had lunch, and talked about things other than work. It was nice to have someone to talk to and it wouldn't hurt to have him as a friend."

"Friends, yes," Rudger finally spoke up.

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "If you cared about my dad, why did you hurt him?" Rudger placed his left hand on his chest. "My dad tried very hard not to hurt you, but you wound up hurting him instead!"

"Don't get it!"

"No, _you_ don't get!" Yusei argued back. "You scared him after the lab exploded and you turned right around and started to be abusive toward him right after you were released from the hospital! My dad didn't know who else to turn to but his childhood friend Hana! She understood how he felt about you …"

Rudger blinked a few times, vaguely remembering what Yiliaster said about Hana. Yusei could tell that Rudger was having a hard time adjusting to the piece of news. He flipped through the pages and found the entries he wanted.

Yusei glanced up to see that Rudger was still contemplating. "You don't feel anything, do you?" Yusei accused in a low tone. "My dad did say that after you survived the explosion, you changed and that's what drove him away and ended up with Hana," he explained.

"Yiliaster," Rudger said, trying speak clearly. "Hakase cared no more."

_That's got to be the reason! He was lied to! _Yusei thought_. _"Yiliaster lied to you. My dad did care about you even after he married Hana and I came into the picture."

Rudger glanced at Yusei. "Read."

He sighed and looked down at the diary. "Where we left off, or the entries that talk about you getting out of the hospital?" Yusei finally asked, making eye contact with Rudger.

Rudger shrugged. He remembered those times and they weren't pleasant. He felt so alienated from everyone, and seeing Hakase with Hana struck him hard. He felt that his feelings and his existence didn't matter anymore. The only thing that kept him going was his brother.

_He's pretty messed up, _Yusei thought. _Yiliaster must've gone to great lengths to make sure that Rudger went after my dad after the accident. _Yusei skimmed the page over before he gave Rudger his full attention.

"Did Yiliaster talk to you when you were alone?"

"Yeah …"

_Now I wish I knew what Yliaster's purpose was? _"My dad did try and find evidence how the lab blew, but he couldn't find any but a few wires that were tweaked. He asked you after you woke up if you remembered anything, but he said that you didn't. Do you remember anything now?" Yusei asked, thinking that if he read the book, Rudger would try to talk about what happened.

"Read," Rudger insisted, pointing to his head.

Yusei sighed. "It has been a month," he started to read aloud, "and Rudger hasn't woken up. I stayed by his side and I looked the sight over, and did a thorough search but all I found was a few wires that were tweaked. I never thought this would ever happen. Rudger doesn't have to suffer like this. I just hope he can forgive him for what happened."

Yusei turned the page. "Rudger finally made some signs that he might wake up soon, and when he's well enough, I'm going to just focus on taking care of him. Hana suggested that she could help. She's been a real support since the accident and I'm grateful that she understands how I feel. Rudger is important to me and I just hope that when he wakes up, he won't think that things have changed between us."

Rudger looked down, feeling a little embarrassed. He didn't pay too much attention to what he did when he woke up. When Rudger opened his eyes, the person he saw was Yiliaster.

"Should I stop reading?" Yusei asked, snapping Rudger out of his thoughts. Yusei didn't want to make him anymore uncomfortable than he was. Rudger shook his head. Yusei turned the page. "Rudger finally woke up. I asked the Doctor when he regained consciousness, but all he said was that Yiliaster wanted him to rest more until he wanted to see anyone. When I got there, Rudger was alone and waiting for me. I asked him how long he has been awake, and he told me a few days."

"Yiliaster say Hakase didn't come because of Hana …" Rudger tried to explain.

Yusei shook his head. "My dad was busy, but he and Hana made sure that you got the best care."

"Know that. Yiliaster said Hana wanted me live so could watch her take Hakase away," Rudger explained, trying to speak as best as he could, even though it sounded all slurred.

Yusei nodded his head. "My mom wanted you to live because she knew how my dad would have felt if you died."

Rudger looked down with shame. Now things made some sense. Rudger remembered having a talk with his brother when things started to get out of hand.

"Why Hana?" Rudger finally asked.

"You pushed my dad away," Yusei repeated. "He trusted you and gave you his all …"

Rudger held his left hand up in defense. "Know. Wolf."

"What you did to my dad is unforgivable, but I'm willing to let what you did to my dad and Kiryu go if you can stare at me apologize," Yusei said firmly. He waited for a moment and when he realized that Rudger wasn't ready, Yusei sighed. "I figured as much." He closed the book. "What's going to happen to you after you're release from hospital?"

"Rex takes me in," Rudger answered, finally making eye contact with Yusei. "Hakase proud of you. Sorry."

Yusei nodded his head, got up and walked out, closing the door gently behind him.

To Be Continued …


	53. Chapter 53

Heartaches

Chapter 53

By Kellyq

Yusei visited the hospital the past three days, reading Hakase's diary to Rudger and visiting Martha. His arm was healed by the second day, and by the third day, Yusei was ready to read the last of his father's diary to Rudger. _I'm__ going to see Martha first before I see Rudger, _Yusei thought walking into the hospital. He stopped abruptly when he saw Godwin and Jeager standing there.

"I have some news, Yusei: my brother died last night and I'm going to be moving. I'm going to leave things to Jeager. Jack will still get to stay where he's at, and I found a place for the orphan kids and Martha to stay at called Domino. They're not ready to take them in yet, but when they are, a lady named Dorothy will be calling."

Yusei nodded his head and closed his eyes. He was sad he couldn't ask Rudger anymore, but he wasn't fazed by Rudgers death. Yusei glanced at Jeager to see that he looked a little uncomfortable and depressed; by this point, Godwin was already out the door.

"What was that all about? And what time did Rudger die?" Yusei asked, towering over Jeager.

"Umm ... I don't even know that. He called saying that I'm in charge of the police force," the clownish man answered, avoiding eye contact with Yusei.

Yusei sighed. _Jack's__ partly right about what's going on with those two,_ Yusei thought, _even though Godwin could show a little more feelings. _He speared Jeager one last glance before he made his way to Martha's room. Once he got to the second floor, Yusei stopped when the door across from Martha's opened and a tall slender male stepped out. Judging from his appearance, he looked about 18. His frosty blue hair went past his shoulders and his side hairs curved around his cheekbone in a shape a sharp ax. He wore a light fuzzy coat, a white shirt and gray pants along with white shoes. His name was Harald.

He turned and eyed Yusei for a moment and smiled. "Hello, Yusei," he greeted casually. Yusei nodded respectfully. "I haven't seen you and your friends out on the racetrack. Are things well with you?"

"Some old family business came up and my friend Kiryu hit his head so were going to have to pick someone new for our team, and an old friend of the family is bedridden and dying of cancer," Yusei explained softly, adjusting his bag.

"I'm sorry to hear that, and the other news is that Director Rex Godwin placed Jeager in charge. It wasn't clear why he chose him, but I'm assuming that it has to do with Rudger dying," Harald shared.

"It was," Yusei sighed.

Harald studied him. "I see," he finally spoke up. "I must go." They both gave each other respectful bows before they departed. "Oh, and tell Jack I send my regards," he said over his shoulder.

Yusei smiled and did the same. "I will, and tell Dragan and Brave I said 'hello' for me." He turned and walked into Martha's room.

Once he was in the room, an old woman greeted Yusei. She looked like she was 70. Her gray hair was in a bun, the half moon shaped glasses seemed to pinch the bridge of her nose. She wore an old fashion black dress.

"You must be Yusei Fudo. I'm Dorothy, an old friend of Martha's," she introduced, extending her hand. Yusei pulled his glove off, and they shook hands. Martha smiled, she knew that Dorothy would take a liking Yusei. "You seem like a polite young man and I'm sure that your friends are too."

It took a moment for Yusei to figure out what she meant and when it came to him, he suppressed the pain in his heart. "Thanks."

Dorothy smiled. "I'm sure that you want some time alone with Martha, and I'll come later. Take your time."

She turned and walked out closing the door behind her. Martha studied Yusei for a moment. "She's a good person and I know that she'll take good care of you and the others." Yusei closed his eyes before he made his way over and sat next to her in a chair. "Things are going to be fine, Yusei," Martha finally spoke up after a minute of silence.

Yusei lowered his gaze, pulled his other glove off and placed both of them on the bed before he leaned over and hugged Martha. "Don't worry about me," she advised, straightening Yusei up so that they were eye level. "I want you to have fun, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"But ..."

Martha silenced him by putting her finger to his lips. "Just promise me." Yusei sighed and nodded his head. Martha smiled. "The one thing I haven't regretted was raising you. Now go have some fun, okay?"

All Yusei did was nod his head, grab his gloves and bag before he walked out, closing the door behind him. He turned his head to see his boyfriend walking up.

"Jack..? What are you doing here?" Yusei asked, surprised.

"Crow wanted me to ask Martha if it was alright to use her car to transport Kiryu's belongings and him to his place," Jack explained.

"I don't think she'll mind," came Dorothy's voice. They both turned their heads to see her standing there. "She was going to hand the van over to Crow anyways."

"And you are?" Jack asked, giving the old woman his full attention.

"Dorothy, an old friend of Marthas, and you must be Jack Atlus," she introduced. The blond-haired teen nodded his head as they shook hands. Jack gave Yusei one quick glance before adverting his attention back to the old woman. "When things are set, Ill let you guys know." Dorothy turned, opened the door and closed it softly behind her.

"What was that all about, Yusei?" Jack finally asked in a crisp tone. He grabbed Yusei's right shoulder and jerked him so that they were making eye contact.

Yusei lowered his gaze. "Dorothy's going to be the one to take the kids and Martha in. Shes not ready for them yet. When shes ready, she'll let us know, he answered quietly. Rudger died last night, and Godwin's moving, leaving Jeager in charge with the police force."

"I know. I got a message from Godwin saying that was moving and that I'm allowed to stay where I'm at." Jack sighed. The whole thing was stressful and painful. It wasn't really helping with his relationship with Yusei. "Come on. Why don't we go to the racetrack? We haven't brushed up on our skills."

"That sounds like a good idea," Yusei smiled. _I'll__ be able to see Bruno, and we can work more on my motorcycle. _Yusei couldn't help but feel hopeful. Bruno seemed like a nice guy and it was going to be fun to see him again. "Lets go!"

"I'm going to help Crow for a few more hours, and when I'm done, I'll join you," Jack shared.

Yusei nodded his head and kissed him before making his way to the bus stop. Jack smiled to himself, happy that he suggested that Yusei go the racetrack and blow off some steam. Yusei seemed eager to go and that was good enough for him.

To Be Continued ...


	54. Chapter 54

Heartaches

Chapter 54

By KellyQ

Yusei walked to the back of the racetrack to see Bruno standing next to his motorcycle. "I knew that you were going to come back," Bruno said, watching Yusei walk up. His toolbox was sitting on the leather set.

"I was thinking about testing the bike first before we do anything else," Yusei said moving the toolbox back. He grabbed his helmet and placed it on his head, walked back to his motorcycle. Yusei sat down and started engine. He liked the sound it made. The rev on board with its accelerator gave off a nice feel, and the motor sounded like a big tomcat purring after having a nice meal.

"You like?" Bruno asked hopefully over the sound of the engine.

"Very …!" Yusei said, sounding pleased. He revved up the engine. "Are you ready?"

Bruno tilted his head to the side. "You … you want me to ride with you?"

A playful smile made its way to Yusei's lips. "Of course! Now grab a helmet and hop on!"

Bruno's face lit up. He went to the table, snatched a blue helmet, and went back over. He sat behind Yusei, placed the helmet on, and wrapped his arms around Yusei's waist. He pressed on the gas pedal and they were off. Yusei veered around the corner, keeping the motorcycle steady. The red bike was going around the track 64 miles an hour.

"This is great!" Yusei called over his shoulder. _I'll have to challenge Jack with a race! _The thought thrilled him, and it would help Jack distract him from the pain he was feeling about what was going on with Martha and the kids.

"Yusei, look out!" Bruno called out snapping him out of his thought.

Yusei flinched and his eyes widened. Standing 30 feet away was Primo. He wasn't wearing the shawl over his head or his open skirt. His spiky gray hair parted off here and there. He didn't look like he was going to move out of the way. Yusei slammed on the breaks and the motorcycle went swerving out of control. The motorcycle started spinning, and Yusei was having a hard time controlling it. Bruno unwrapped his arms and helped Yusei veer his bike, before it came to a sudden halt two feet away from Primo.

A thin layer of dust that the bike created finally blew in the wind. Bruno got off the motorcycle, but Yusei pulled him back. The tension around them made Yusei feel uncomfortable; he also had to admit that Primo looked even more unattractive than he did when he had other clothes.

"Primo …!" came a high soft male voice. They turned their heads to see a child no older than 8 years old. He had long dark red hair that went all the way past his hips. His skin color was peach and his dark-green eyes held a lot of personality. His outfit was nothing more than blue and green spandex, a loose white shirt, tight shorts and red shoes. His name was Lester. In his hand was Primo's shawl. Lester ran up and glared at Yusei and Bruno before he set his full attention on Primo, slapping him with the shawl. "You're not racing until your motorcycle is looked at!"

"Who are you competing against?" Yusei probed. He wasn't going to let Primo walk all over whoever he was going to go up against.

"That's none of your business!" Lester huffed, glaring at Yusei, who wasn't even fazed by the nasty look he got from the boy. "Who the hell are you anyways?"

"Yusei, a member of a team that will be called 5Ds when the race starts in a 5 days," Yusei informed.

Lester scoffed again and turned his attention back to Primo. "Are you coming back or not?" He waited for a moment and glared at Bruno when Primo didn't answer. "You were supposed to help Primo check his bike, not go around and make new friends with the enemy!" Lester accused.

Yusei narrowed his eyes and gave a disapproving look at Primo. "Bruno was just helping me, but if he was supposed to help you first, I do apologize."

"Damn right it's your fault! Now Primo has to wait, no thanks to you!" Lester said in a snippy tone.

Sudden anger welled up in Bruno. "I was just helping Yusei get his motorcycle up to speed! Besides, Primo can wait!"

Everyone was surprised for a second but Primo was the first to growl. "You disrespectful ..." but he paused when he noticed that some of the other bikers were starting to come out on to the racetrack. "Fine! Do what you want, but hand him back, is that clear?"

Yusei narrowed his eyes as he watched Primo yank the shawl out of Lester's hand, turn him around and push the child forward. "Hold up," Yusei said in a crisp tone. Primo turned slightly to acknowledge that he was listening though he wasn't making eye contact. "How about we race? If you win, he's free to be what team he's on ..."

Lester scuffed and Primo growled. He turned, glaring Bruno who cringed. _No! _Bruno thought, _Yusei_ _doesn't have to do that! I should do it myself! _

"No. I'll do it. Besides, I'm tired of being treated like I'm retarded anyways," Bruno said, feeling strength and confidence that he didn't know he had.

"Don't you even know how to ride a bike?" Lester said in a condescending tone.

"Go back inside before I cut your hair off, Lester!" Primo cut in, pushing the child quite hard, making sure that Lester was walking to where the bikes were parked.

"I know how to ride a motorcycle," Bruno said, feeling insulted by the remark.

"When you want Bruno ready?" Yusei asked.

"Two hours and no later," Primo answered. He turned and followed Lester.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Bruno?" Yusei asked, facing his new friend. Bruno nodded his head, a determined expression on his face. "You can use my motorcycle."

"Your motorcycle is fast, but it won't be good enough to match up against Primo's," Bruno explained. "But thanks."

"But how are you going to even race him without a bike?" Yusei asked, pushing his bike to the back.

"I have my own that's just as good," Bruno answered, following him.

* * *

Jack and Crow came two hours later to see Yusei standing by the table working on his laptop. Crow glanced over Yusei's shoulder to see that he had hacked into some personal information about the upcoming races.

"What the hell are you doing?" came Jack's voice.

Before the blonde haired teen could make a move, Yusei spoke up. He was still looking at the screen. "Let Bruno check you motorcycle over …"

"Done!" Bruno announced. He pulled back, grabbed a towel that was draped over the seat, and wiped his hands off. "I installed a few safety features, and adjusted a few parts so that your bike runs a little smoother," Bruno explained, facing Jack.

The blonde haired teen didn't look thankful, he looked like he was ready to punch Bruno for touching his motorcycle. Bruno yelped when Jack struck him in the face.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Crow asked, confused. He walked up and pulled his friend away from Bruno.

Yusei was already by his side helping Bruno stand. "That was completely uncalled for, Jack. I asked Bruno to make adjustments."

"I'm sorry if I did any harm!" Bruno protested. "I just wanted to help Yusei out! You are his partner in racing, aren't you?"

Jack sighed. "Yes." He turned his attention to his boyfriend. "What's going on with all the new upgrades?" Jack followed Yusei to the computer.

Bruno and Crow were also looking at the laptop as well. "Who's that?" Crow asked, making a face when he saw the picture of Primo.

"Oh that's right! I forgot! I have to get ready to race!"

Before Yusei could say anything, Bruno was already gone. Yusei narrowed his eyes when he glanced back at the picture. He grabbed his helmet, walked over to his motorcycle and started the engine, and drove off. Crow and Jack nodded their heads and followed Yusei on their motorcycles.

* * *

The two friends came to a stop where Yusei had parked his bike on the sidelines, having a good view of the race.

"What's going on, Yusei?" Crow asked, trying to put the things together that led to this point.

Jack eyed his boyfriend for a moment, seeing that he was concentrating on the race that just started. His violet eyes narrowed as his averted his attention back to the race.

The rest of the other team members had already parked on the sidelines and Lester was in the group of people that were watching. Everyone but four were examining the race, shouting for Bruno to win. Lester stood there glaring at Bruno while Harald, Dragan and Brave silently watched.

"What do you think is going to happen? Doesn't Yusei know that Primo will take that poor kid apart?" Brave whispered in Harald's ear.

Harald glanced at Yusei to see that he was paying close attention. "We can only pray to god that Bruno will win." By this point, Primo was trying to ram into Bruno's blue motorcycle. "Right now I see angels watching over him."

Brave looked closer and smiled. He always liked the way his friend viewed harsh situations like this one. Brave wasn't the only one, Dragan was too. He too saw angels who were keeping Bruno safe.

* * *

The race lasted for another thirty seconds. Bruno didn't fight back all too much, but he managed to out race Primo by accidentally knocking his motorcycle out of the way. It spun out of control and Primo went flying off and he landed on the side of the racetrack. Everyone waited to see if he could get up, but after waiting, everyone cheered for Bruno. Lester got up and ran for Primo to see if he was alright as the others ran for Bruno, congratulating him.

Yusei made his way through the crowd to make sure that Primo was going to keep his word.

"I'm keeping my word," Primo said, dusting himself off, not fazed that he had lost, "but that doesn't mean things are over." By now Lester took Primo's bike off the racetrack and was waiting for him with hate in his eyes for Bruno.

Jack, Crow, Harald, Brave and Dragan were standing side by side giving Primo and Lester disapproving looks.

To Be continued ...


	55. Chapter 55

Heartaches

Chapter 55

By Kellyq

The attention around the racetrack was lifted when Primo and Lester left. Bruno smiled. The other teams with members decided to go back to practicing.

"Thanks for cheering me on," he said taking off his helmet and bowing.

"You're good," Crow complemented, shaking Bruno's hand.

"Why don't you stay at our place?" Yusei suggested.

"As long as he sleeps on the couch, I'm fine with that," Jack said, turning to walk back to his motorcycle. He started the engine and veered his bike to where the hanger was.

Bruno's expression softened. He had a feeling that Jack wasn't too bad. Yusei got on his bike too and followed his boyfriend.

"Why don't we practice tomorrow?" Brave suggested. "It looks like your bikes have some upgrades."

Bruno chuckled and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Don't worry, they're not cheating. Yusei wanted to make sure that he was on top of his game, just like Jack and Crow."

* * *

Yusei parked his bike to see Jack looking at what was on the laptop. He removed his helmet, got off his motorcycle and made his way over.

"You're gonna have tough opponents," Yusei finally spoke up, showing him a list of people. One of them was Primo and the other was Dragan. "That's why I had Bruno install safety equipment on your bike. The last time you had a big race, you got hurt, and I don't want to see that again." Jack glanced at Yusei's bike to see that there were some changes made, but didn't know what. "Don't worry; I have some things installed on mine, too."

Jack slumped into a nearby chair and slammed the side of his fist on the table out of frustration. "This is so frustrating!"

"I know how you -"

"No you don't! Not once have you thought that maybe I feel useless!" Jack pointed out.

Yusei lowered his gaze, stepped in front of Jack and pulled him out of the chair so that they were making eye contact. "_I_ do know how you feel, Jack. What about how I feel?"

Jack sighed knowing that Yusei had a point; he wasn't paying attention how Yusei felt about the whole thing with Martha and the kids. "I should apologize for not even thinking ... it's just hard knowing that there's nothing I can do to ease the pain you're feeling."

Yusei closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders. The blonde haired teen closed his eyes too and wrapped his arms around Yusei's waist.

After a moment, Yusei pulled away giving his boyfriend a determined look. "Don't think that you're useless, Jack Atlus. We're going to get through everything together. We always have..."

"You've said it!" came Crow's voice. The two turned to see Crow and Bruno standing there with their motorcycles by their sides.

Crow walked up and pumped his fist out. Jack and Yusei pulled away and brought their fists together. Bruno watched for a moment before he slowly made his way and repeated the same action.

Yusei smiled. "Why don't you be part of our team?"

"I'd love to! That is ... " Bruno paused and glanced at Crow and Jack. "If you guys let me."

"I have no problem with that! You're good!" Crow complemented.

Bruno smiled and glanced at Jack, hoping that he was accepted.

"You don't have to give me that look. I said that you can sleep on the couch," Jack said.

"Does that mean you'll accept me?" Bruno asked hopefully.

Jack sighed. "Yes."

* * *

Misty had moved Carly's belongings to her condominium. She was pleased that she got what she wanted without any trouble. Mr. Pitts was also glad to get rid of Carly too, and she was happy to get out of that situation.

Carly sat down on the couch as Misty placed a tray of crackers, goat cheese, and tea on the table. She turned and walked back to the kitchen as Carly turned the TV on. It showed a commercial about the upcoming motorcycle race. Misty glanced at the screen as she walked back and sat down.

"Are you going?" Misty asked.

"Of course I'm going!"

* * *

Carly wasn't the only one to respond with excitement; Dragan, Brave and Harald were too when they saw the announcement on TV. The three were sitting causally on the couch.

"Do you think we'll have a bigger crowd this year?" came Brave's semi-feminine voice.

Before his two friends could answer, Dragan's Blackberry chimed a couple of times. He pulled it out and his eyes widened with slight fear when the screen on his cell phone showed that it was the hospital.

"I'll take this call," Harald said, gently taking it. He pressed the button and put it to his ear. "Hello? Yes. Dragan is here ... are you sure?" Dragan's facial expression changed to hope. Brave scooted closer, intertwined his fingers with Dragans, and ran his thumb along his knuckles. "That's great news," Harald said, taking Dragan's other hand and kissing it. "I'll tell him that. Is there anything else that I should tell Dragan?" Harald nodded his head and handed the phone over after he was done. "Your father is finally awake and everything's going to turn out fine."

"It's about time!" Brave said, getting up still holding Dragan's hand, not paying attention to what he was going to say next. "Now you can rest and thank God for not taking your father! If he did, I'd have a serious talk with God about taking him away from you!"

"Brave!" The red haired teen flinched at Harald's strict tone that he would often use when he wasn't pleased. "Calm yourself."

Brave's eyes widened when he realized what he just said and regretted it. "Dragan, I'm sorry! It's just that it hurt knowing that there wasn't much I could do to ease the pain you were in about what was going on with your dad, but at least he's going to recover from the car accident."

Dragan only smiled knowing that his friend didn't mean any harm. "Don't worry about it. I'm just grateful that you guys kept me in line," he complemented, eyeing them both.

Brave smiled, let go of Dragan's hand and walked out, leaving the two alone. Harald was pleased that Dragan's father made it with only one busted leg. Even though he was in a coma for quite some time, it was a miracle that he suffered a minor concussion.

"Do you want to go see him?" Harald finally spoke up.

Dragan looked down with shame. "I don't know if should, considering that I didn't even set foot in that room the whole time. He's probably ashamed of me by now."

Harald cupped Dragan's face. Dark blue eyes came in contact with dark golden eyes. "We'll see him together, so it's not painful for you like it was the first time."

"The thing was that I wanted him to meet you and get his approval of our relationship, like Brave had," Dragan shared, finally revealing why he wanted Harald and Brave to be at the racetrack early.

Harald leaned in kissed Dragan on the lips and moved some hair away from his neck, before he pulled back. "Why don't we rest and make a decision tomorrow."

* * *

Stopping for the day seemed like a good idea. Crow was the first to depart as Jack, Yusei and Bruno made it to the Condo. The first thing they noticed was that Mina and Trudge were not there.

"Wow! This place is huge!" Bruno explained, looking around.

Jack walked into the kitchen to make himself a cup of ramen as Yusei followed Bruno down the hallway to the linen closet. He came to Jack's room and was about to open the door when he felt Yusei's hand on his shoulder. Bruno turned his head to see Yusei shaking his head and a blanket in his arms. Bruno nodded his head and followed Yusei to the living room. He draped the blanket over the couch as Jack dumped the empty cup into the trash and made his way to his room and closed the door.

Yusei walked in a moment later to see his boyfriend getting ready to take a shower. He made his way over to the bed, grabbed his pillow and moved the extra pillow over. He turned and walked out closing the door. Yusei made his way over to the couch to see Bruno lying down. He sat up as Yusei placed the pillow behind him.

Bruno laid back down. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

Yusei sat across from him. "It's the least I can do for helping me out. The upcoming race is going to be tough and I want to make sure that we're ready for anything."

Bruno smiled. "You've got really cool friends."

"We've known each other since we were kids, and I'm grateful to have them in my life," Yusei said in a mumble tone.

"Are we going to the racetrack tomorrow?" Bruno asked.

Yusei shook his head. "Jack and I were going to help Crow transport a friend of his to his place. Do you want to help?"

"Sure!"

Yusei smiled, got up and walked to Jack's room. He opened the door walked in and closed it.

* * *

The next day Yusei and Jack decided to have Bruno introduce himself to Martha before they went to help Crow. When they walked into the lobby, Bruno was the first to notice Brave sitting casually in a chair. They nodded in acknowledgment. Yusei and Jack saw him too, but they didn't think too much of it until they got to the third floor and saw Harald opening the door for Dragan and the two walked in, closing the door that was across the hallway from Martha's.

Dragan and Harald made their way to the bed. Dragan walked to the right side as Harald went to the left. The injured man slowly opened his eyes and smiled at his son.

"How are you feeling?" Dragan finally asked.

"I'll be okay, but how did your match go with Jack?" his father asked.

Dragan hung his head. "I lost."

"Are you going to have a rematch?" his father asked calmly, not minding that his son had lost, concluding that it was because of the car accident.

Dragan nodded his head. "Next week. And now that you're okay, I'll be able to fight with pride."

"I'll watch your rematch and despite whether you win or lose, I'm still proud of you," his father said. He glanced at Harald taking in his appearance. He could see why Dragan was close to Harald. The atmosphere around him was calm, soothing, and his dark golden eyes held power, confidence, and compassion. "You must be Harald." He nodded his head. "I'm glad to finally meet the one that my son is close to."

Harald reached for Dragan's hand and laced their fingers together. It took a moment for Dragan's father to figure out what that meant and when he realized it, he nodded in approval. "I see. Is this what you want, Dragan?" He nodded his head. "I'll support you anyway I can. Now go practice and beat Jack!" Dragan nodded his head, feeling confident and that's what he needed since he had lost.

To Be Continued


	56. Chapter 56

Heartaches

Chapter 56

By Kellyq

Yusei, Jack and Bruno walked into Martha's room to see that she was awake. Yusei was the first to walk up and hug her as Jack and Bruno walked to the other side of the bed.

"Ah ... so this is your new teammate and friend for the race. I'm Martha," she introduced, holding out a weak hand for Bruno to take. "I'm the one who raised these guys."

Bruno nodded his head. "Bruno. It's nice to meet you. Yusei told me a lot of good things about you."

The door opened and Crow walked in pushing Kiryu's wheelchair in. The crippled teen's face lit up when he saw Yusei.

"Hug!" Kiryu said, motioning for Yusei to come closer.

Crow chuckled as he watched Yusei make his way over and hugged Kiryu. "He's been demanding to see you. He was happy when I told him that he could see Martha and you."

Yusei nodded his head and pulled back. Bruno stepped up and knelt beside Kiryu. "Hello. I'm Bruno. A friend."

"A good friend?" Kiryu asked, speaking clearly. Bruno nodded. Kiryu smiled, feeling a similar feeling he got when he was around Yusei.

Martha smiled. She liked that things were slowly looking up and when the time was right, she would reflect back on when she looked after Yusei and the kids.

Crow wheeled the wheelchair over to the side of the bed. Kiryu blinked a few times when he noticed that Martha's appearance looked different from last he remembered.

"Ma?"

Crow placed his right hand on Kiryu's shoulder. He glanced at Crow before returning his gaze back at Martha. "She's not feeling well," Crow explained.

"Ma going to get better?" Kiryu asked, not liking the state Martha was in.

The old woman smiled. "Don't worry about me," she advised. "Whatever happens, you've done well for yourselves."

A disapproving growl came from the back of Jack's throat. He hated when Martha talked as if she was going to die anytime soon. "You're not going to give up! That's the one thing you've taught me – so don't even start!"

The room went silent. They were shocked with Jack's outburst. It was very rare that he showed sadness. Martha frowned, reached out and pulled on Jack's ear. He was surprised that she still had quite a bit of strength left.

"Don't talk to me with that tone of voice, young man!" she said. "I'm going to be alright. Besides, you've got bigger things to worry about, like the race that's coming up." By this point, Martha had let go of his sore ear.

Jack sighed in defeat and rubbed his ear. "Fine."

Martha smiled. "Good. Now go practice and have a good time, okay?"

They all nodded their heads.

* * *

"What's wrong with Martha and Kiryu?" Bruno asked.

After they had left, Jack, Yusei and Bruno helped Crow get Kiryu situated in his apartment. Bruno thought it was a quaint spot, and it seemed to fit Crow's personality.

By this point, Jack, Yusei and Bruno were on their way to the racetrack, leaving Crow with Kiryu, so he could get adjust to the new surroundings.

"Kiryu hit his head hard and Martha has cancer and bedridden after she fell and broke her hip," Yusei explained.

The three had parked their bikes at the back. Bruno nodded his head and rubbed Yusei's back as Jack walked out to the racetrack.

When they had gotten to their destination, Jack saw Dragan going around the track.

A taunting smile made its way to his lips. Jack remembered the race he had and he didn't mind having another one against Dragan.

Jack stopped walking when he stepped onto the sidelines. He waited for Dragan to take notice that he was standing there. Dragan's dark blue gazed into violet eyes. Dragan veered his motorcycle to the side, pulled off his helmet and stood next to his motorcycle.

Jack walked up and stopped when he was ten feet away. They both had a stare down that lasted for a few seconds.

"Ready to lose again?" Jack taunted, and smirked.

"I don't have to worry about winning, I have my confidence back."

"Confidence?" Jack repeated. "What are you talking about? You didn't last very long, and it wasn't much of a challenge. If you ask me, that race was lame."

Intense anger flashed across Dragan's face. "Watch it, Atlus! You don't know what _really _happened that day!"

Jack's lips curved into a snarl, and anger flashed across his eyes, as his hands balled into fits. "Of course I remember that day! I won and you didn't!"

"I lost because of what happened to my father! He was hit on the way to the race that day, that's why I actually lost! Otherwise I would've won!" Dragan pointed out. Jack flinched lightly. He didn't expect to hear that. "I'm not surprised that you didn't know that, considering that you don't hold anyone close to you!"

Jack felt that he was slugged in the gut. "You don't know anything about me!" Jack growled._ And I'm not heartless, _he added mentally.

"I know that Jack cares about me!" came Yusei's voice. They both turned their heads to see him walk up, with Bruno by his side.

"And things could be settled in a more civil manor," came Harald's voice. He walked up behind his boyfriend and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Agreed," Yusei said, standing next to Jack. He laced their fingers together to show that he was going to support Jack. "So whatever happens, let's make it a fare match, agreed?"

Harald studied Yusei for a moment, and smiled. He could see that Yusei had one angel protecting him and that was Hakase.

"Agreed."

To Be Continued …


	57. Chapter 57

Heartaches

Chapter 57

By Kellyq

Jack, Yusei and Bruno practiced on and off for the upcoming race for the past four days. They wanted to make it all the way through and win the prize money to help Dorthey pay for remodeling and medical expenses.

Their other opponents: Taro, Yoshizo, and Jinbei from _Team Taiyo_, had their own reasons why they wanted to be part of the race.

Yusei raised a brow when Yoshizo was overjoyed that he finally got to meet him and shake his hand. Taro innocently asked Yusei if he could look at their only motorcycle. Jinbei wasn't thrilled at first, but Taro preached that their only motorcycle was the symbol of who they were. Yusei smiled and said that he would be happy to help.

After Yusei fixed their motorcycle, and Taro tested it out, he met Jean, Andore, and Breo from _Team Unicorn. _They were also honored to have shook Yusei's hand.

Nicolas, Hans and Harmann from _Team Catastrophe _just practiced instead of meeting other people out on the racetrack, claiming that they didn't have time to hang around losers.

Crow couldn't practice until he figured out how he was going to look after Kiryu. Yusei made sure that Jack didn't practice at the same time as Dragan when Harald gave Yusei Dragan's practice schedule, through text messaging.

Yusei walked into the hospital cafeteria and sat down near the window. He pulled out his father's diary and pondered if he should read the last few pages. After a few moments, Yusei sighed and glanced out the window, to see that it was still raining outside.

Yusei continued to stare out the window until footsteps reached his ears. He turned to see Harald make his way over, with two cups of coffee in his hand.

Harald sighed when Yusei turned his gaze back to the window. He placed the coffee beside Yusei and sat across from him. They both stared out the window, not looking at anything in particular.

Harald averted his gaze to Yusei and that's when he saw a diary under his fingertips. Harald had a feeling that there was something deeper that was bothering Yusei besides the race.

"Yusei's in here!" came Leo's voice.

Harald and Yusei turned their heads to see Rally, Leo and Luna making their way over with Aero and Blister close behind. Yusei smiled, got up and knelt down to hug the twins and Rally. Harald smiled. He had to admit that the kids were cute and Brave would've gushed over them if he was here.

Rally gazed at Harald with awe. He had to admit that there was a soothing and god-like atmosphere around him. "Are you friends with Yusei?" He finally asked.

Harald smiled. "You could say that I'm a close acquaintance of his. My name is Harald."

"Are you going to the race?" Leo asked.

"Yes I am," Harald answered casually. "I'm participating in it."

Leo whistled slowly. "You must have a cool name for your team!"

"Team Ragnarok," Harald shared.

"_Ragnarok?" _Leo repeated slowly, confused. "What's that mean?"

"It's mythology about three Gods, who fight every thousand years, right?" Yusei explained, giving Harald a sidway's glance.

He nodded his head. "Yes. That's correct." Harald got up and made his way to the door, but he stopped. "Things are going to turn out fine, Yusei. Just have faith in God, okay?"

A sad smile made it's way to Yusei's lips. "I'll try."

Harald nodded his head and walked out and made his way out of the hospital. _Tomorrow is the starting of the race_, Harald thought._ I just pray that everyone will have a good time and play safe_.

* * *

"How do you think you guys will handle Brave, Harald and Dragan?" Blister asked, after Harald left. "Their motives are the same as yours."

Yusei was slightly shocked. He read about them, but it wasn't quite clear why they entered in the first place.

"What about you guys?" Yusei asked Blister and Aero

Aero shook his head. "We're not going to enter this year."

Yusei nodded his head, he was going to have share this information with Jack and Crow.

"We already sent them text messages about what's going on," Blister informed.

_That makes sense, because Jack has been a little more determined than he was to start with, _Yusei thought.

**_Yusei turned to see Jack stomping his way into the apartment soaking wet. He slammed the door behind him. Bruno quickly turned the TV off, but it was already too late, Jack saw that they were watching the footage of his race against Dragan. _**

**_More anger flashed across Jack's face. He eyed them both, but Yusei saw past the anger, and it was misunderstanding. Jack lowered his gaze and made his way to his room and closed the door. _**

**_Yusei walked into the room a moment later to see his boyfriend getting ready to take a shower. _**

**_"Jack ..." Yusei called out in a soft casual tone. He walked up and started to help Jack peel his clothes off. "You need to stop thinking about what Dragan said to you. You wouldn't have us if we didn't think you cared about us." By this point, all of Jack's wet clothes were in the sink, and he was turning the shower on. "You can do whatever want..." Yusei continued to speak as he stripped as well, reading the vibes he got. _**

**_"That's not it," Jack said, stepping to the shower. Yusei joined him second later. "If I was told what happened, I could've waited until his father recovered, but he went ahead and had it anyways."_**

**_Yusei nodded his head and started to wash Jack's back. I see, Yusei thought. "Your pride was damaged, and you want your pride back, and you want to prove yourself ..." _**

**_Jack glanced behind him, and their eyes met. "Of cours I'm going to show him! I'm not the Master of Faster for nothing!" _**

That was three days ago and Jack had been increasing his skills since then.

To Be Continued ...


	58. Chapter 58

Heartaches

Chapter 58

By Kellyq

The line to get into the stadium stretched around the block. A blimp floated by, and a special aircraft flew by with a big flag attached to it saying:_**Welcome to the World Racing Grand Prix. **_

The race announcer glanced around the crowd to see many people from all over, and he could feel the intense energy in the atmosphere. The level of excitement in the air got the announcer more pumped up. His black hair was short on the back and the rest of it stuck out beyond his forehead in a shape of a Twinkie. His green eyes held a lot of personality and his pointy beard combed in a nice point. He wore a pink suit and an orange bow tie. He called himself MC.

"Good afternoon!" He said enthusiastically into the microphone. "And welcome to the first half of the _World racing Grand Prix!" _The crowd cheered. People who were watching on TV, also looked pumped for the race to start. "I'm going to be announcing the teams! The first to go is Jack Atlus_, _from_ Team 5ds_ against Andore from _Team Unicorn!" _

The crowd cheered for Andore, and when Jack rode out, more people started to cheer as he did the usual trademark, by going around the track once and saying 'Let's kick this into overdrive!'

"Jack! Yusei!" came Leo, Luna, and Rally's voices.

From where Yusei, Crow, and Bruno were standing in the pit stop, they turned their heads to see them running toward their direction. Jack also turned his head to see Rally running to him, and the twins went over to the pit stop.

Yusei went after Rally and placed his hand on his shoulder before he was on the track itself. Rally looked over his shoulder and glanced up at Yusei to see him shake his head. Rally nodded, turned and took Yusei's hand as they walked back to the pit stop.

"There you guys are!" came Trudge's voice.

They turned their heads to see him and Mina walking up. Leo hung his head, knowing that talking his sister and Rally into coming onto the racetrack was not a good idea, but he wanted to help Yusei, Jack, Crow and Bruno by being right there in front of the action.

"We're not in trouble, are we?" Rally asked timidly, blushing with embarrassment.

"On your mark, get set, go!" M.C's voice boomed, startling everyone.

Before Yusei and Rally could recover, a gust of dust, wind, and carbon monoxide pushed against them. The ground vibrated and rumbled as Yusei pulled Rally close, shielding him.

Once it was safe to see, Yusei could see that Jack was the first to go around sharp corners and weave around ditches. _He's going too fast, _Rally thought, watching how fast Jack was going.

Mina stepped up and placed a hand on Rally's shoulder after Yusei pulled back. "Come, on!" Mina urged over the roar of the crowd and the rumbling of the motorcycles. "It's not safe for you to be here!"

Rally nodded his head as Mina took his hand and led him back to the bleachers. "Do you think that Yusei and Jack will win?" Rally finally asked, sitting next Mina.

"Of course Jack's going to win! I don't know about Yusei, but I do know that Jack will!" Carly spoke up. She was sitting on the same bench as Rally, and some other kids. Rally glanced down to realize that he had a good seat. He could see what was going on.

Jack was two seconds behind Andore. _Dammit, _Jack thought feeling his pride take control of his actions. He revved up the engine in the intention of passing Andoro by, but Jack didn't realize that the back wheel locked making it hard for him to steer.

Bruno looked closely at the scene before him and noticed that Jack's motorcycle was going to give out if he didn't come to the pit stop. Buno grabbed a headset, and placed it on his head, and then adjusted the built-in mic to his mouth.

"Jack! You need to come in!" Bruno urged.

Yusei glanced at Bruno before he set his eyes back to the race to see that Jack was having a hard time steering his bike. Andore looked over his shoulder to see Jack's motorcycle spinning out of control. Andore veered his bike out of the way as Jack's motorcycle spun in his direction.

The front tire to Jack's motorcycle hit a rock, and he was bucked off just as the bike toppled over. Jack went flying like a rag doll and he landed a three yards away with a dull thump. His motorcycle toppled a few more times before it landed on its side with a sharp clang, and the front wheel still spinning.

"Oh! That must've hurt!" M.C. commented covering his eyes for a second, before he glanced at the sight. "Can _The Master of Faster_ get back on his feet and continue?"

The crowd looked on with anticipation. Carly and Mina jumped to their feet wondering if they should go down and help him. Yusei stepped out of the pit stop without a second thought. Jack slowly managed to get to his hands and knees.

"Jack!" Yusei called out, stepping onto the racetrack.

"What are you doing, Yusei?" Jack inquired, glancing at his boyfriend. Yusei came to an abrupt halt when he saw the visor on Jack's helmet was broken down the middle, and a thin line of blood came down his forehead. "Do you want us to get disqualified? Now get back to our post!" Jack ordered, pointing to the pit stop.

Yusei stood there for a second, watching Jack crawl over to his motorcycle and put it in the up-right position, before Yusei turned and walked back. _Dammit, _Jack thought, feeling humiliated and embarrassed, _I can't just give up! Martha's counting on me, and I'm not going to let her down!_ By now the crowd was cheering for Jack as he started to push his bike the rest of the way. _If I last long enough, _Jack thought, seeing the finish line six feet a way, _it will be a start_.

Andore slowed down just a tad, knowing that he didn't have to rush it when he calculated that he was going to win anyway. Yusei glanced at Bruno so see that he wasn't ready.

"Bruno ...? Are you alright?" Yusei asked, placing his gloved hand on his shoulder.

"I should've checked Jack's bike before he went out!" Bruno said, feeling responsible for what happened.

"Don't worry about it, Bruno," Yusei reassured, stepping back. "Jack will be fine."

"He's been in worse crashes than this!" Crow spoke up.

Bruno sighed, slid off the chair and made his way over to his motorcycle. Yusei went over to the finish line to see Carly, and Mina cheering for Jack, as he slowly made his way. Andore shrugged as he picked up the pace, he was two centimeters ahead of Jack.

By now, Jack was refraining from passing out. He glanced ahead to see Yusei, Crow, Carly, and Mina. He could also hear Rally and the twins telling him not to give up. M.C. watched the two competitors reach the finish line, but Andore's motorcycle's tire touched the line before Jack's bike.

"Andore is the winner!"

Jack closed his eyes for a moment as he pushed his bike over the line. Yusei stepped up caught Jack before he dropped. Crow went over to Jack's motorcycle and kept it from falling on its side.

To Be Continued ...


	59. Chapter 59

Heartaches

Chapter 59

By Kellyq

After Yusei had Mina and Carly laid Jack on a gurney and pushed him to the ambulance, Yusei made his way to Bruno. The blue-haired teen sighed, knowing that Jack was going to punch him afterwards.

"Bruno, don't worry about Jack. He's going to be fine, okay?" Yusei reassured.

"That's not it," Bruno said, shaking his head.

"Next from _team 5Ds _is Bruno against _Team Unicorn_ Andore! Competitors, get ready!" M.C.'s voice boomed. "And start your engines!"

"We'll continue this later, and don't feel that you're responsible for what happened to Jack," Yusei convinced, rubbing Bruno's back gently. "He knows better than to rush headlong like he did."

Yusei turned and walked back to the Pit stop as M.C told the two competitors to start. Andore was the first to go. Bruno was right behind, keeping his motorcycle steady as they went around ditches and weaved around each other. M.C watched closely as they both went up a ramp. Andore decided to let go of the handlebars and wave at the crowed as the motorcycle glided through the air. The cheering rose as both competitors landed on the ground gracefully.

"It looks like we may have a tie! Who's going to be the actual winner?"

Andore smirked. He firmly pushed on the shift lever upwards with his left foot, eased off on the clutch with his left hand and twisted the throttle with his right hand, giving his motorcycle speed. Bruno did the same, but Andore's motorcycle tire touched the finish line two seconds before Bruno's.

"It looks like another victor for _Team Unicorn_!" M.C announced. By this point, Yusei had his helmet on, and he was sitting on his motorcycle as Bruno pulled into the pit stop. "Next from _Team 5Ds_ is **our** _Shooting Star_ who won the Fortune Cup – Yusei Fudo!" M.C announced, emphasizing Yusei's title with respect, and interest. Andore pulled into his pit stop to see Breo getting ready. "He's going up against the last two competitors from _Team Unicorn_: Breo and Jean! Yusei's first competitor is Breo, then Jean! Can Team 5Ds last _hope_ gain a victory? Let's wait and find out!"

"You might have a challenge on your hands," Jean warned his teammate. "Yusei's no pushover. So, just be careful."

"No worries, babe. Leave it me!" Breo said, giving his teammate a wink and the thumbs up. Breo started the engine and veered his motorcycle to the starting line.

Jean and Andore watched him before Jean glanced at his red-haired teammate. "So? What do you make of the whole thing?" Jean asked.

Andore glanced at Yusei and Breo when M.C told them to start. "I think that there's potential for Team 5Ds, especially for Mr. Fudo," Andore answered. Jean nodded his head and made his way to his chair, followed by Andore.

"On your mark, get set, Go!"

Both competitors pulled on their clutches with their left hands and eased back on the throttles with their right hands, shifting gears with their left feet. They both eased off on the clutch as they used their left hands and twisted the throttles as they continued their accelerations.

* * *

Mina and Carly glanced down at Jack's unconscious face as Akiza checked him over. By this point, she didn't think it was important to send Jack to the hospital when all he had were some bruised ribs.

Carly bit her lip. "Is Jack going to be okay?" she thought out loud.

"We'll know when he wakes up," Akiza answered, pulling out her laptop from her bag that was next to the gurney. Mina watched for a moment before she decided to help clear the table next to the bed as Akiza placed her laptop on it.

"You guys want to watch the rest of the race?" Carly asked, watching Akiza boot her computer and she started to type some things on the keyboard. It wasn't long before cheering could be heard through the speakers. Carly walked to the other side of the gurney and glanced at the computer screen to see that Yusei was on his fourth lap and holding his own against Breo. Carly was impressed.

**_"The suspense is killing me! Just four more laps to go!" _**M.C announced, rocking from side to side.

Mina's face lit up and she clapped her hands together as Akiza leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She had a confident look on her face. Akiza wasn't the only one watching Yusei's race: Martha, Dorthy, Team Catastrophe, Primo, Lester, Brave, Harald, Dragan, and Team Taiyo watched closely.

* * *

Breo glanced at his teammates to see that Jean was giving him a confident look. Breo nodded his head and smiled.

**_The summer night was a perfect night hold a race outside of the city where the police wouldn't catch them. Breo was three feet away from the finish line. His competitor suddenly lost control of his motorcycle as Breo crossed the finish line. The crowd of girls squealed with delight. Breo glanced at them and smiled. The only thing that went through the girl's heads were '_**_he's smiling at me!_**_'. They were about to make their way over, but they stopped at an abrupt halt when one woman stood between them and Breo. She had sandy-colored hair, and dark green eyes. The lipstick she had on made her lips very notable. Her red vest went well with her black tank top and pink mini skirt. The other girls watched the two embrace each other. _**

**_"Oh, Breo! You did it!" She cried with delight. _**

**_Breo's expression softened as he cupped her face and stared into her eyes. "I wouldn't have been able to have won if you weren't here to be my inspiration, and I want to dedicate this moment to you, toots." _**

_I didn't know how blind I was about my girlfriend until I met Jean and Andore a week later, _Breo thought coming out of his memory. Breo was glad that it happened.

**_Breo and his girlfriend came to a public place to practice. The two expected it to be empty, but they weren't alone. Two other teens by the names of Andore and Jean were there. Breo made his way overr to see Andore working on his motorcycle as Jean watched. _**

**_Breo and his girlfriend walked up. "Hey! This is my place! Find some other track to loiter at!" Breo demanded. _**

**_Andore paused at what he was doing, rose to his feet, and turned. Jean did too and Breo could see that Andore and Jean weren't going to move. _**

**_"I see. How about we race? Whoever wins gets to practice." _**

**_"That's fine," Jean responded, casually. "I'll be your opponent."_**

**_The race didn't last very long. Breo's girlfriend stopped watching Breo and focused on Jean, when he won. By this point Breo had dropped to his hands and knees, wondering what just happened. Breo glanced up to see his girlfriend walking over to Jean. She laced one arm around his biceps as she ran her other hand seductively down his chest. _**

**_"Hi there, do you want to go out?" _**

**_Jean glanced down at her with disgust. "Get lost, slut! I'm not interested in whores!" He growled. _**

**_Breo's girlfriend pulled back and huffed. "Fine!" She turned and started to walk away without giving Breo a second glance. _**

**_Andore watched her with disrespect, before he glanced at Breo who looked defeated and lost. Jean and Andore glanced at each other before they made their over to Breo. The blond-haired teen glanced up when Jean and Andore loomed over him. _**

**_Breo looked away. "Well, I lost. Go ahead do whatever you want." _**

**_A half smile made its way to Jean's lips. "I'm Jean," he introduced himself, as he pointed to his teammate. "And this is Andore." Breo glanced at the red haired teen to see that he had a respectful expression. "And your name is Breo, right?" Jean asked. By this point Breo wasn't really paying any attention, until Jean held a hand out. Breo stared at the hand and looked up to see they both wanted him. "You have the talent that we've been looking for." _**

**_Breo looked away with embarrassment. "Sure ... being humiliated all the time ..." _**

**_"Don't talk like that. When we had our race, I found potential," Jean complimented with interest laced in his voice. His hand was still outstretched. Breo's eyes widened and he looked up at them to see they were telling the truth. _**

**_"You may have lost this one, but it doesn't mean that you'll lose all the time," Andore explained. Breo nodded his head. "Have you ever felt the need to belong?" Again, Breo nodded his head. How did these guys know how he really felt. _**

**_"Will you join us? We could use someone with your talent on our team," Jean asked. _**

**_Breo glanced at Jean's outstretched hand. _**_What do I have to lose? _**_Breo thought taking Jean's hand. A sudden feeling came over Breo as Jean pulled him up, like he had a purpose and it was to be with Jean and Andore. _**

_If it wasn't for my babes, _Breo thought, coming out of his two year old memory,_ I wouldn't be here right now, and I'm not goin' to let them down! Just like Yusei said, we're both here to gain something, and I respect him for that, _Breo thought.

"Just one more lap to go!" M.C announced. "Either competitor can prevail! Who will it be? **_Our_** _Shooting Star_ -Yusei Fudo? Or Breo? The last lap will determine who will advance!"

To Be Continued ...


	60. Chapter 60

Heartaches

Chapter 60

By Kellyq

Mina, Carly and Akiza continued to stare at the laptop until a moan reached their ears. Akiza glanced down to see Jack slowly open his unfocused eyes. The first thing Jack felt was pain through his ribs.

"Jack! Are you alright?" Carly asked, when he moaned in pain.

"You had a bad fall, Mr. Atlus!" Mina exclaimed.

Jack ignored them both and turned his attention to Akiza. "Has Bruno been able to pass Andore?"

The three girls shook their heads. Jack closed his eyes out of frustration. _If I didn't try and rush it, we wouldn't be hanging by a thread! _

Mina bit her lip, and then an idea came to her. "Mr. Atlus ... Mr. Fudo is up right now ... do you want to watch?"

Jack looked a little more alert. He sat up slowly as Akiza shifted the laptop so that he could see what was going on. "Who is he up against now?"

"Breo," Carly answered, "and he's impressively holding his own, and I didn't know that he won the Fortune Cup! Can you tell me how he won?"

"Right now is not the time," Akiza spoke up, seeing that Jack was focused on the screen.

Mina clapped her hands together in a praying fashion. _I hope that Mr. Fudo wins! _

"Yusei may have a challenge," Akiza spoke up after a moment of silence, "but they're nothing compared to Jack and I."

* * *

Yusei smiled, he could tell that Breo and Jean were having a silent communication when they glanced at each other. _I see,_ Yusei thought, _Jean is the leader! But they're here because they're showing what it's like to fight for a team! Now that I know that much, it's time to end this, _Yusei thought, _and I hope that Jack learned something. _Yusei rolled his eyes at the last thought as he passed Breo. Crow and Bruno from the pit stop cheered and from the bleachers, Rally, Leo, Luna and the rest of the kids were cheering Yusei on.

By this point, both competitors were close to the finish line. M.C bit his lip, hoping that Team 5ds would have a win. When M.C heard that Yusei, Jack, Crow, and their new addition - Bruno were going to form a team and call themselves, _Team 5Ds, _M.C knew they were going to be an unstoppable team.

M.C continued to chew on his lower lip until he noticed Breo's motorcycle started to wobble after it rolled over a sharp rock and the tire popped. "This is an unfortunate turn!" M.C announced, watching Breo having a hard time steering his motorcycle. Yusei wanted to help, but he had to suppress that feeling and continued, hoping that Breo was going to be alright. Yusei increased his speed and drove over the finish line. M.C's face lit up. "The winner is **_our_**_ Shooting Star_ - Yusei Fudo!"

The crowd cheered for Yusei as he veered his motorcycle to the starting line to get ready for Jean. Breo had managed to get his motorcycle into his pit stop as the mechanics started to work.

"Sorry about that," Breo muttered, "I let you guys down by not paying attention."

Andore shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. You did well."

"Competitors, get ready!" M.C's voice boomed.

"If we do lose, I'll take full responsibility for it," Jean said, starting the engine and veering his bike over the starting line, before his teammates could protest.

"Last up is Jean! According to the rules: if two teams have two wins, they will still participate!" M.C shared. The crowd cheered. "Let's just hope that it will happen!"

Yusei glanced at Jean. "We're a lot alike," Yusei said, caching Jean off guard. "You're here to show what team leadership is all about, right?" Jean nodded his head slowly. "Jack, Crow, and Bruno and I are here because an orphanage I grew up in is having trouble, and we want them to have a good future ahead of them." Yusei paused for a moment as a teasing smile made its way to his lips. "That's where I respect you, Jean. You _care_ about Andore and Breo, and _they_ care about you, too."

Again, Jean nodded his head and glanced at his teammates. _Yusei's right_, Jean thought, _we both have something to fight for, and I'm not going to let my team go down ... but I do have to admit that Yusei is a respectful opponent for understanding how I feel about my teammates._

"On your mark, get set, go!"

M.C's booming voice snapped Jean out of his thoughts_. _Both competitors pulled on their clutches with their left hands and eased back on the throttles with their right hands, shifting gears with their left feet. They both eased off on the clutch as they used their left hands and twisted the throttles as they continued their accelerations.

* * *

Jack, Akiza, Carly, and Mina continued to watch. Carly was still impressed by how skillful Yusei was on a motorcycle.

"I wonder what type of rider Jean is?" Carly pondered out loud.

"He's the team leader," Jack clarified. The others glanced at Jack. "No one had heard of Jean, Breo and Andore until the whole thing of "Team Unicorn" appeared on the news."

"That's right! I do remember hearing about them! They have won a few times in the past two years," Carly said, turning her attention to the laptop.

Jack narrowed his eyes. He could tell that Yusei was not getting the push he needed from the others as he continued to watch. _If we're going to win this, we're going to have to support each other, _Jack thought.

To Be Continued ...


	61. Chapter 61

Heartaches

Chapter 61

By Kellyq

Yusei glanced over his shoulder to see Jean at his heels. Both competitors were skillful at what they did, but Jean was quick. His right hand pushed on the side of his handlebar slightly to the left to make a right hand turn around the sharp curb that was nearing them. Yusei did the same as he tried to be mindful about some of the loose rocks.

"They just have two more laps to go, and like I said before - _Team 5Ds_ might advance! Let's hope that happens!" M.C said in a hopeful tone.

By this point Jean was torn between Yusei win or himself winning for the sake of _Team Unicorn. _Yusei, on the other hand, was concentrating on winning too. _I just have to make sure that I stay focused. Martha and all the kids need a good future ahead of them, and I'm not going to let them down! _Yusei thought. _I just need to clear my mind, and get rid of any negative stress and think of all my friends who support me. _Yusei closed his eyes for a brief moment and tuned everyone out except his friends. By now, everyone was silent and M.C thought that Yusei was gliding along the track ahead of Jean, like the wind.

"Yusei!" came Jack's voice.

Yusei's eyes snapped open and turned his attention to the pit stop to see Jack standing there. _Jack ...? _Yusei thought. Crow and Bruno turned to see Jack standing there, with Mina and Carly supporting him. Akiza made her way next to Crow to have a good look at what was going on.

Jack pulled away from Mina and Carly and limped a few feet with a determined look on his face. "Yusei! Whatever is holding you back! Let it go!"

"Jack's right, Yusei!" Akiza reassured. "We're here to support you! Now finish this!"

Yusei nodded willfully and went back to paying attention to the race. The crowd by now was cheering, and the twins were yelling for Yusei to 'kick Jean's ass'. Breo glanced at Jean before he turned his attention to Andore.

"Why do you think Jean's hesitating?" Breo asked his red-haired teammate. "Do you think it's something that Yusei had said before their race?"

"I don't think he's hesitating. Jean's doing this because he wants to fight for something - he pointed that out when I first met him after my race with some guy who was weaker than me ... 'fighting for something is more rewarding than fighting for yourself'. Now I know what he means by that." Andore smiled casually as he watched the two competitors race.

Breo looked at the race to see that Jean was having trouble with choosing what to do. _Fighting for something? _Breo thought looking back at Andore. Jean increased his speed to have a better look at Yusei's face. Jean could tell that Yusei had blocked out all distractions.

"Then he needs a little reassuring, so he knows that we're with him all the way!" Breo said, snapping Andore out of his thoughts. Breo grabbed a piece of large notebook paper and a green pen. He scribbled something on it and held it out. In big green letters, Breo wrote: **_Go! Jean!_** Jean's eyes widened for a moment when he saw it. "Go, babe! Show that toots what _Team Unicorn _is all about, whether you win or lose, we're still _Team Unicorn_!" Breo hollered in a confident tone, with a determined look on his face. By now the crowd was cheering for both competitors.

Jean nodded his head slowly as he went back to concentrating. "Let's finish this!" Jean hollered, feeling his confidence soar.

"Agreed!"

They both revved up their engines and went around the last lap of the race. M.C watched closely, when suddenly Jean's motorcycle started to overheat. Carbon monoxide sputtered out, forming all around him, making it hard for Jean to see.

"Oh my word!" M.C panicked, trying to see if Jean was okay. "This isn't looking good folks!"

Yusei glanced over his shoulder and concern flashed through his face. _No! _Yusei thought, shaking his head quickly, _I hope he's alright! But I don't have time to worry about that, I have to finish the race or we'll be kicked out of the race all together! _M.C watched closely, hoping that Jean was okay. After two minutes of swerving in and out of the racetrack, the dust and Carbon monoxide cleared. Jean noticed that Yusei's motorcycle drove over the finish line.

"The winner is **_our_**_ Shooting Star _– Yusei Fudo!" M.C hollered, with joy. The crowd cheered for Yusei as Jean managed to drive over the finish line.

Crow, Mina, Carly, Akiza, and Jack made their way over to Yusei. Rally, Leo, and Luna clamored down the bleachers to congratulate Yusei on his victory. The twins were the first to reach Yusei as he took off his helmet. Rally went to the other side of the motorcycle to hug Yusei and kiss him on the cheek.

Yusei smiled before he glanced over at Jack. "How are you feeling, Jack? Are you okay?"

"Seeing you win helped with my pain ... but you were great out there."

Again, Yusei smiled until movement caught the corner of his eye. He turned to see Jean walking up, and he didn't look thrilled. Rally pulled back as Yusei got off his motorcycle. "Jean ..." Yusei paused for a moment, he was about to ask if he was alright, but he decided against it.

"I poured everything into getting us here," Jean explained, feeling rather embarrassed that he lost in front of his teammates. "I wanted to beat you, but this isn't Team Unicorn's defeat. It's mine, Yusei."

"We didn't lose anything, Jean," came Andore's voice from behind. Jean turned to see his two teammates walk up casually. "And I'm not going to let you take the blame."

"But _I_ lost! I was stupid, careless and threw all our efforts away!" Jean pointed out.

"What are you talking about? You were amazing out there, babe!" Breo complimented. He had a proud look on his face. "And I'm proud to be your teammate!"

"Are you serious right now?" Jean asked Breo, shocked and confused.

Andore shook his head casually. "You're normally cold and calculating, Jean," Andore said referring to how Jean would treat his opponents, "but you had compassion this time. It was great."

Jean was touched by his teammate's words. "Well I ..." he paused and smiled as turned to face Yusei. "I guess there's something good that turned out with all this, considering I never raced someone with your level of riding and understanding," Jean said, referring to how Yusei knew how Jean felt about his teammates. "What I'm trying to say is that you can bring people's strength and passion out and that's a new feeling for me."

"You definitely know how to do that, don't ya, babe," Breo said to Yusei, winking at him.

"Un .. thanks, Breo," Yusei said, still trying to get used to being around someone who spoke so bluntly.

"We should be thanking you, Yusei," Jean said, with a respectful look on his face. "This race is going to change how Team Unicorn does things, and for the better."

Yusei smiled. "Same goes for us. You guys showed us what teamwork means and we're thankful for that."

"How about we keep winning our races, and you guys keeping wining yours, so we can race again!" Jean suggested.

"Sure!" Yusei agreed, ready to shake Jean's hand. "That would be awesome!"

Jean nodded head and shook Yusei's hand. "Let's go all the way, _my friend!" _

Andore and Breo chuckled as they stepped up and placed their hands on top of Yusei's and Jean's. Soon, Jack, Crow, and Bruno placed their hands on top of Breo's and Andore's.

"Then it's settled -" Yusei spoke up.

"Let's all met at the finals!" The two teams declared.

The crowd cheered for both teams, but the one thing that they didn't realize that Team Catastrophe was watching from the shadows.

To Be Continued ...


	62. Chapter 62

Heartaches

Chapter 62

By Kellyq

After both teams declared they were going to meet at the finals, M.C announced that Team Unicorn was going to go up against Team Catastrophe the next day. The crowd departed. Jack, Yusei, Crow, Bruno, Mina, Carly, Akiza, the twins, and the rest of the kids decided to go to Jack's apartment to celebrate their first win. Mina and Akiza set up the table outside Jack's deck with drinks, cake, five kinds of whole-wheat crackers, cheese and slices of whole wheat bread.

Jack held up his glass of orange juice. "A toast to 5Ds first victory!"

They took their glasses and held it up when Crow's cell phone went off. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID to see that it was the Hospital. Crow pushed a button and they knew who's voice it was going to be.

**_"Great job," _**came Martha's voice, **_"you guys did great!" _**

"Even if Jack pushed his motorcycle too far?" Leo asked, surprised with a hint of amusement in his voice.

**_"I saw ... but next time, don't be so reckless, Jack!" _**Martha lectured.

Jack sent Leo a childish glare. "I did get to the finish line!"

"You did, but from where I was sitting, it looked like you were showing off," Leo pointed out.

"I was not!"

"At least Yusei picked up the slack and won for us, so the victory goes to Yusei!" Leo stated.

"How are you feeling, Martha?" Yusei asked, ignoring Jack and Leo.

**_"I'm just fine, Yusei," _**Martha shared.

Right then, a faint knock came from the front door. Mina turned and walked back inside. She made her way to the front of the condominium and opened the door to see Misty standing there.

_"Mina! Who's at the front door?" _Came Jack's voice. The blonde-haired teen made his way, with the others trailing behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to bring Carly home," Misty answered, glancing at the group.

"Why not come in and join us," Carly offered without hesitation.

Jack sighed out of annoyance. "Fine, she can come in."

Everyone moved out of the way, as Carly squealed with delight. She stepped up and hugged Jack as she tried to kiss him, but he turned his head.

Misty still stood there. "How about I wait for you in the car. Text me when you're ready to leave."

"You - you don't mind waiting?" Carly asked, surprised. She had pulled away from Jack.

Misty smiled, "not at all." With that, the beautiful model turned and walked away.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully with chatting and drinking. When Carly was ready to go, she pulled out her camera.

"Is it alright if I take some pictures?" She asked. "I'll make some copies for you guys, if you want."

"I'm not very photogenic ...," Jack muttered. They were all in the living room, sitting around casually.

"What are you talking about, Jack?" Crow cut in, scowling at him. "You always jump on the chance to have your picture taken!"

"I don't have the right clothes, you dolt!" Jack corrected, getting into his friend's face. He also wasn't in the mood at the moment.

"You look fine," Mina and Carly said at the same time.

"I want my picture taken with Luna and Rally!" Leo ordered.

"I want my first picture to be taken with Jack!" Mina ordered. She was about to make her way to Jack, but Carly pulled her back.

"I'm going to have my first picture taken with Jack! Besides, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Trudge?" Carly asked, turning Mina around.

The young housekeeper blushed, but she quickly recovered from her shock. "Shouldn't you be with that creepy woman?" She countered back, without thinking.

"You take that back! Misty's not a creepy woman!" Carly demanded, getting into Mina's face.

The young housekeeper sighed, knowing that she stepped out of line.

"How about I take a picture of all three of you?" Akiza suggested.

* * *

Misty pulled out her cell phone when it chimed. She looked at the screen to see that it was a text from Carly. The model got out of the car just as Carly approached her.

"How did it go?" Misty asked, helping Carly into the car.

"The race or the party?" Carly asked.

"The party. I watched part of the race before I went to my modeling session."

Carly nodded her head, pulled out her camera and turned it on. She pressed a few buttons and they started look through them. The first one was a picture of her, Mina and Jack. The second ones was Rally and the twins. The third one was Jack, Crow, and Yusei. The forth one was Akiza and Yusei standing close looking intently at the camera.

"You're really a good photographer, Carly," Misty complimented.

A light blush made its way to Carly's cheeks. "I like taking pictures. Pictures tell a story."

Misty nodded her head. Well. You're good. _And I'll have to see if she'll be willing to be my personal photographer after the race is done, _Misty thought watching Carly fool with her camera.

Movement attracted Misty's eyes to Crow, Mina, Rally, the twins, the other orphans, and Akiza making their way to their vehicles. The twins, the other orphans, and Rally piled in Crow's car. Akiza went to hers and, and Mina went to hers. They were all going to be ready for the upcoming race.

To Be continued ...


	63. Chapter 63

Heartaches

Chapter 63

By Kellyq

Yusei walked into the hospital the next morning to see how Martha was doing. He brought his bag that had Hakase's dairy. Yusei thought about asking Martha about the heart shaped key. He made his way down the hallway to her room, and the door was slightly ajar. Yusei walked up and pushed it open to a blonde-haired female nurse checking Martha over.

"Is Martha alright?" Yusei asked, walking to the other side of the bed.

The nurse looked up and their gazes met. The first thing Yusei noticed was angry slanted green eyes. The blonde-haired nurse wore all pink, and a white nametag bore the name, _Sherry_ on it.

Sherry straightened up and continued to stare at Yusei. "You're Mr. Fudo's son ..." she pointed out, her thick British accent laced with disgust. All Yusei did was nod his head. "I figured as much. You are a spitting image of him." Once again, Yusei nodded his head. He felt uncomfortable under Sherry's penetrating gaze. "Martha has Shingles at the moment," Sherry started to explain, answering Yusei's question. "It will go away in four weeks."

Yusei nodded his head. "Is there anything for her, so that she'll be more comfortable?"

"Not a whole lot can be done for her," Sherry pointed out, making her way to the door.

Yusei lowered his gaze. He knew that, but he wanted to have hope that there was some way for Martha to be comfortable in the state that she was in.

"Thanks for looking after Martha!" Yusei acknowledged as he watched Sherry walk out. He pulled up a chair, sat down, reached into the bag, plucked out the dairy. He opened it and started to read. Yusei read until a rustle of the blankets reached his ears. He turned and smiled at Martha.

"Hi ... how are you feeling?" Yusei asked softly.

"Sore and tired," Martha answered truthfully.

Yusei nodded his head. "Has Doctor Smith ordered some pain medications for you?" Martha nodded her head. Yusei put the bag onto the bed and pulled out the heart shaped key. "Can you tell me anything about this – does it go to anything in particular?" Yusei asked.

Martha straightened her posture as Yusei held it up, so that she could have a better look at it. "I think your parents got that for you, if I can remember correctly," Martha answered. Yusei nodded his head and stared at the key. Martha watched him for a moment. She placed her hand on his. "Don't ever think what happened between your parents and Rudger was your fault."

"I'll try ..."

A frown made its way to Martha's face. "I should hope so. If you don't, I'll pull on that ear of yours," she threatened lightly, a hint of teasing in her voice.

Yusei only smiled and started to put his stuff in the bag. "I do need to get going and fix Jack's motorcycle."

"Be careful. The last thing I want to see you or the others get hurt," Martha advised.

Yusei nodded his head leaned over and gently hugged Martha before he walked out. He made his to the elevator, and pressed the button to go down. As Yusei waited, Sherry walked up and stood there waiting to go down.

"Thanks for looking after Martha and giving me updates," Yusei said, holding out his hand. "Sherry, right?"

The blond-haired woman gave Yusei a look before he got into the elevator. Yusei followed suit. "I don't need to shake hands with a son of a murder."

Yusei flinched and his eyes clouded with shock and disbelief. His hand dropped to his side. By this point, the elevator had stopped moving and the door opened to the lobby. Yusei snapped out of his shock when Sherry walked out. He followed her out.

"Excuse me," Yusei called out. Sherry stopped, but she kept her back turned. "What do you know about my father?" He wasn't going to let her talk like Hakase had blood on his hands, but if Sherry had information, he was going to get it.

"Enough to know that innocent lives were lost and people suffered after the lab blew up, taking half the city. My parents didn't work in the same department as your father, but when it blew my parents didn't make it– I was 3 at the time, so I didn't know what happened. My parent's faithful butler took care of me. He told me 13 years later that Yiliaster was partly responsible, but it was mainly your father's doing."

Yusei lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that, but my father didn't know how the lab blew. He wasn't even there when it happened," Yusei explained. He finally looked at the back of Sherry. "But I believe that Yiliaster was in involved with the whole thing too."

Sherry let out an irritated sigh. "Believe whatever you want."

Before Yusei could protest, a sound of familiar footsteps reached their ears. They both turned to see Akiza in her uniform, ready for her shift at work.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, feeling tension in the air and the look on Yusei's face told her that he had his first encounter with Sherry.

"Everything is fine, but I'd be careful around Yusei, Akiza." With no other words, Sherry walked away leaving the two confused.

Akiza glanced at Yusei to his head had lowered so that she couldn't see his eyes. "Are you alright?" All Yusei did was nod his head. Akiza placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't let what Sherry said about Hakase get to you, okay?"

Again, Yiusei nodded his head and placed a reassuring hand on top of hers. "I'll be fine." He gently moved her hand away and walked out, leaving Akiza standing there with a troubled look on her face.

To Be Continued …


	64. Chapter 64

Heartaches

Chapter 64

By Kellyq

Bruno looked up when Yusei walked into the Condo parking garage where Jack's damaged motorcycle was towed. The look in Yusei's face told Bruno that the visit wasn't pleasant.

"Yusei … are you alright?"

Yusei sighed. "Martha has Shingles …"

Bruno frowned. "Isn't that chickenpox through the nerves?"

"I think so … but the nurse looking after her knew about my father and the whole thing of the lab. I felt sorry that her parents were caught in the explosion … but she didn't believe me when I told her that my father wasn't responsible for their deaths."

By this point, the two were working on the repairs - replacing the handlebars, washing the dirt off, mending, and fixing the safety mechanism that had a few glitches in it. By the time they were done, half of the morning had gone by.

Yusei was aware that Bruno was watching him with concern the whole time. When they were finished, Yusei gave Bruno a reassuring look.

"I'll be okay, Bruno. I'm just still shocked about the whole thing with my dad. Now that I think about it I remember once when I was 3, overhearing some type of murderer …" his voice trailed off and his eyes widened with realization.

**_Yusei walked down the hallway and stopped midway to overhear Jack and Martha talking. The two were sitting on the living room couch, wrapping up Yusei's birthday presents._**

**_"How did he end up here?" Jack asked Martha. _**

**_"Promise me that you won't tell him?" Martha looked into Jack's eyes. He nodded his head. "His parents were killed. It was heart wrenching that I couldn't do anything to save his parents …" _**

"I … I never really thought about it," Yusei said, coming out of his childhood memory. He lowered his gaze so that Bruno would see his eyes. "Not until now."

"You're just going to make yourself sick if you keep thinking about it," Bruno pointed out. He placed a hand on Yusei's shoulder. "What happened was in the past, and we need to stay focused on winning the race."

"I agree," came Crow's voice. They turned to see him and Jack standing there. "Team Unicorn's race is about to start," Crow continued, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "We don't want to miss their race against Team Catastrophe!"

* * *

Jack, Yusei, Crow, and Bruno parked their bikes just outside the stadium. They all glanced at each other, not expecting to hear hush whispers and murmurs from the crowed when they entered inside. Jack was the first to notice Andore's motorcycle lying on its side, and smoke coming from the damaged bike.

"Isn't that Team Unicorn's motorcycles? W-what's going on?" Jack pondered out-loud, seeing Jean's bike in the same condition.

"Oh! This is a sad state of affairs, folks!" came M.C's voice. The race announcer shook his head. He was having a hard time announcing that Team Unicorn lost and Team Catastrophe won. "With two of Team Unicorn's teams out - Team Catastrophe wins!"

Jack growled at the thought of the winning team snatching victory just like that. Crow stood there in shock, along with Bruno. Yusei glanced at Team Catastrophe, and he took a good look their appearance. Harmann was taller than Hans and Nicolas. The trio had tattoos on their faces. Their uniforms were black and the undershirts were gray.

Movement right then caught Yusei's attention. He turned to see Jean and Andore being loaded onto stretchers to be wheeled to the ambulance. Yusei gasped in shock and made his way to the racetrack with Crow, Jack, and Bruno close behind.

"Jean! Andore!"

Breo turned to see Jack, Yusei, Crow, and Bruno making their way over. Yusei could tell right away that Breo was shaken up by what he concluded was a crash. The paramedics started wheel Jean and Andore to the ambulance.

Breo bit his lip. "Can you guys meet me at the hospital?"

Yusei nodded his head. "Sure!" _And we'll find out what happened to Jean and Andore, _he thought glancing at Team Catastrophe. There was something in the way that they grinned at the crowd, that made Yusei's skin crawl. He wasn't the only one, Carlly saw it too, from where she was sitting on the bleachers. She adjusted her spiral glasses, and she decided to follow Jack and the others.

* * *

Breo got to the hospital before the others and waited for the news of his teammates. A couple of moments later, Akiza came up with a clip board in her hand. The door to the front of the hospital opened and Yusei and the others made their way up.

"Jean and Andore are going to be fine," Akiza shared. Everyone looked relieved.

"What happened at the race?" Jack asked.

Breo shook his head. "I'm not sure. They were doing fine until their motorcycles crashed."

"The race didn't last very long," Carly stated.

"I … I hate to ask this … but can you guys help me find out what happened to my teammates?" Breo asked, nervously.

"Sure. We'll help anyway we can," Yusei reassured.

"Thanks, babe. I just don't know who to turn to right now."

To Be Continued …


	65. Chapter 65

Heartaches

Chapter 65

By Kellyq

Breo followed Jack and the others to his condo. Akiza stayed behind to make sure that Jean and Andore got the best care, and Carly announced that she had taped the race. _I just hope that it's enough, _Breo thought, parking his motorcycle. He wasn't too eager to watch his teammates crash, but if there was something out of the ordinary he was going to find it.

Breo followed them into the computer room. Carly pulled out her camera and plucked out the chip. She handed it to Yusei as Carly pulled out a card reader and plugged it in the USB port to the computer. Yusei wiggled the mouse, and the screen came on. The curser moved to the c-drive. Once it was open, there were some options to go to the e-drive, the d-drive, and the f-drive.

"You'll want the f-drive," Carly suggested, pointing to the screen. The curser moved and once it was clicked the screen displayed folders that were labeled with weird numbers. "You'll want …" before Carly could finish, Yusei clicked on the folder that was labeled 'camera'. "You'll want to …" once again, Yusei had already went to the bottom the screen and clicked on the video that they needed to see.

Window's Media Player came up, and the video started. The first was Jean's race against Hurmman. The race only lasted until Jean lost control of his motorcycle. He swerved out of control, and he was bucked off. Andore's race with Hans was the same.

"I didn't see anything," Crow said, blinking a few times.

"I know. That's what baffles me. Jean and Andore aren't that careless just to do something like that," Breo said.

"Did you guys have time to know who you were going up against?" Jack asked Breo.

"We did that before we even entered the race," Breo answered, looking away briefly. "But I guess they have improved."

"We won't know that until we recheck their data," Bruno said logically.

"Good thinking!" Yusei pulled the Internet browser up and his hands danced on the keyboard. Soon a whole lot of information about Team Catastrophe came up and some videos clips. Yusei clicked on one and they watched the race. Team Catastrophe's opponents crashed the same way. They desired to watch another video and the same result happened.

"There's definitely a trend," Crow said. "What puzzles me is why no one had inspected them for the countless times that their opponents crashed."

"Before we left," Carly spoke up, "there was something unusual about them. They gave me the creeps. And it was almost like they knew that your teammates were going to crash."

"I thought the some," Breo agreed. "But everything happened so fast, I didn't have time to register what fully happened, and now my teammates are hurt because of that."

Yusei inwardly sighed. He felt bad for Breo, considering that it was obvious that he was lost without Jean and Andore. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"If you guys can get as much data on them - I'll check out on Jean's and Andore's motorcycles," Breo suggested, before turning to walk to the front door.

Yusei decided to follow him. "We'll get what we can. In the meantime, don't feel responsible for what happened. Jean and Andore wouldn't want you to do that."

Breo simply did was nodded his head, turned, and he opened the door walked out and closed the door softly. Yusei sighed.

"I feel sorry for him," came Crow's voice. Yusei turned to see him and the others standing there.

Before Yusei could made a remark, Carly's cell phone beeped. She pulled it out of her bag, to see that it was a text message from Misty.

"I need to get going," Carly said, putting her cell phone back in the bag.

Yusei opened the door for her. "Thanks for your help, Carly," he said politely.

A nervous smile made its way to her lips. "Any time." She turned and walked out.

"I need to get going too," Crow said, making his way out and looked over his shoulder at his friends. "A close acquaintance of mine named Rik is looking after Kiryu."

Yusei's eyes widened for a moment, with Martha and the kids, he almost forgot that Crow was looking after Kiryu. "Oh! How is he doing?"

"He's improving some," Crow shared, looking ahead, "but I don't think that he'll remember anything about himself."

Yusei stepped up and hugged his friend from behind. "Things will get better," Yusei murmured, slowly letting Crow go.

All Crow did was nod his head and made his way to his motorcycle, and road back to his apartment.

* * *

When Crow got there, he unlocked the door and was greeted by Rick. He stepped back as Crow entered.

"I hard what happened. Is Team Unicorn okay?"

"Jean and Andore are going to be okay. But how's Kiryu?"

Rick smiled. "He's doing fine. He's sleeping at the moment."

Crow's expression softened. "Thanks for helping me out."

Rick shook his head. "You shouldn't thank me. Bolger was the one who made sure that Kiryu was in your care instead of the state."

Crow's eyes widened and his heart almost stopped. _Bolger did that for me? Why? Why would he do something like that for me? I thought he always wanted to make me suffer because of what happened between us. _

Rick placed a hand on Crow's shoulder to snap him out of his thoughts. "You didn't do anything wrong." he moved his hand away from Crow's shoulder once Rick got his attention. "Bolger was diagnosed with aspergers and depression a couple of years ago. That's why Robert and Bolger weren't getting along too well when you came into the picture. I put him through counseling after you found out that he killed Robert. When you told him that a 'friend had fallen', he looked into it and he decided to help when he got information ..."

Crow nodded his head. He was touched that Bolger would do that for him. "Will you tell him 'thank you' for me? I would greatly appreciate it."

Rick nodded his head. Crow turned and opened the door for him and he walked out. Crow closed the door, turned and walked into his room. He opened the door and stepped in to see Kiryu sleeping. Crow quietly walked up and reached out to touch Kiryu's face. Crow leaned in and kissed Kiryu's forehead as he sat across from him to watch him sleep.

To Be Continued ...


	66. Chapter 66

Heartaches

Chapter 66

By Kellyq

Breo looked at his teammate's damaged motorcycles and sighed as he watched the mechanics work on the repairs. After the commotion with his teammates, Breo had their motorcycle's towed to the apartment that he shared with Jean and Andore.

One of the mechanics 'hmm'ed as he checked the back wheel. Breo stepped back when he noticed that the wheel wasn't moving.

"The wheel locked? Can that happen?" Breo pondered aloud.

"It can if you tamper with it, or push your bike too far," one of the mechanics answered. Breo nodded his head, remembering what happened to Jack when his motorcyle crashed. "I also see other hand prints besides your and ours."

Breo looked closer and the mechanic was right. Fingerprints could be seen on the braking system. _We're onto something, _Breo thought. He turned and walked inside. A quaint three bedroom one bathroom with all hardwood flooring. Breo grabbed his camera that was on the counter and made his way back to take some pictures.

* * *

Bruno looked over his shoulder and noticed that Yusei had stopped paying attention on getting information about Team Catastrophe and was looking at the heart shaped key that Hakse had taped to his diary. Bruno frowned. "Do _you _want to take a break? We have quite a few thing about Team Catastrophe that should help us, I'll take care of this."

"You sure?" Yusei asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

Bruno smiled. "Don't worry about it. I think I can handle things ..." he paused when footsteps reached their ears and they both knew who was knocking at the door. "Besides ... Jack wants to talk to you."

**_"Yusei ... we need to talk," _**came Jack's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Just a moment!" Yusei put the key in his bag, got up, walked to the door, and opened it. "What's going on?" Yusei reached for the door, stepped up as Jack moved out of the way so that Yusei could close the door.

"I got a text message from Akiza ... she's worried about you," Jack said, as they both walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Martha has chickenpox through the nerves, and she's in a lot of pain right now," Yusei explained as he lowered his gaze, so that Jack couldn't see his eyes. "Also, the nurse looking after her knew about my father, and she was really nasty about it."

"What did this nurse say?" Jack probed.

"That he was responsible for the lab exploding and countless lives gone when it happened and that her parents were caught in it," Yusei explained, shifting uncomfortable. He still had his head down so that Jack couldn't see his eyes.

Jack frowned. "I thought it was Rudger who caused the building to explode?"

Yusei shook his head again. " Rudger was caught it in, including a few other people," he explained again.

"Are there any clues in your dad's diary about what caused the lab to go?" Jack asked.

Yusei shook his head once more. "My dad didn't know what happened. The only evidence he got was a few twisted wires. After that, my dad focused mainly on getting Rudger the care with my mom's help."

"I take it that your parents weren't even together at that time, right?" Jack inquired.

"I explained everything to Rudger and he apologized for what he did to my parents," Yusei answered. "I felt sorry for him, considering how messed up he was before he died with all the lies that Yiliaste fed him."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Who's that?"

"Someone who worked in the same lab ..."

Yusei paused when there was a knock at the door. He got up, walked to the door, and opened it to see Breo standing there with a hopeful look on his face. Yusei stepped out of the way, let the blonde-haired man in, and closed the door behind him. Breo followed Yusei toward the computer room just as Bruno walked out with a small handful of papers. Jack got up and made his way over.

"Jean and Andore's motorcycles were tampered with. I took some pictures of the hand prints," Breo explained, holding up the camera, and handing it over to Yusei.

Jack and Bruno looked over Yusei shoulder, as he pressed on some buttons.

"We're going to need to go down to the police station," Bruno said, looking through the pictures.

Jack nodded his head. "I know someone who works there that can help us. I'll see if Kaz can take this case, and send a text to Crow and fill him in on the details." He pulled out his cell phone and started to text message Kaz first before Jack text messaged Crow. After waiting for a few moments, he got two text messages back. "Kaz will have time and Crow will meet us there and he's going to bring Kiryu with him."

"Tell Crow that's not going to work. Kiryu might have a seizure if he stays in that type of an environment too long. Have him take Kiryu to Martha's. Aero and Blister are at her place looking after the kids."

Jack nodded his head, understanding.

To Be Continued ...


	67. Chapter 67

Heartaches

Chapter 67

By Kellyq

When they got to the police station, a young police officer stood there waiting for them. He was the same height as Yusei, faded black hair that was spiked out on the back and dark-brown eyes. Breo had to admit that the officer was good looking.

"I got your text message," the officer said, extending his hand to Jack.

The blonde-haired teen did the same, and gave the officer a respectful look as they shook hands. "Thanks for taking this case, Kaz."

The officer nodded his head. "I saw what happened and I was just as suspicious as you guys ..." Kaz said, motioning for them to follow him in.

They weren't the only ones who thought that the race between Team Unicorn and Team Catastrophe was suspicious, Aero and Blister were too. Blister was in front of the computer as Aero kept the kids entertained with a board game, until there was a knock at the door. Leo beamed and ran up and opened the door to see Crow standing behind Kiry's wheel chair to push him in. Leo moved out of the way, as Crow pushed the wheel chair in, and wheeled Kiryu in the living room.

There, they were greeted by Aero, Blister and the rest of the kids.

"Thanks for taking time to do this," Crow acknowledged, bowing.

"Sure," Aero smiled.

Crow stepped next to Kiryu turned and knelt down, putting a hand on Kiryu to get his attention. "You be a good boy while I'm gone, okay?" Kiryu nodded his head. Crow smiled and leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "You be good, and I'll be back as soon as I can," Cow murmured. He rubbed Kiryu's leg before he pulled away, and he stood up.

Kiryu nodded his head and glanced over at Crow as he smiled. "Love Crow!"

Crow smiled, leaned in and kissed Kiryu before he pulled again and made his way out, followed by Aero with the papers that Blister had printed off. Once he was in the van, he put his blue tooth in his ear. Aero handed the papers over to Crow as he put them on passenger set.

Tell Yusei hi' for me, Aero suggested, taking hold of the door and closing it gently. Aero stepped back as the car started and Crow was off.

Crow adjusted the blue tooth. "Call Yusei." he waited for a moment and smiled. "Hey, Yus."

_**"How's the kids?" **_Yusei asked.

"They're doing fine. I also got some info from Blister about Team Catastrophe ... I should be there in fifteen minutes," Crow informed, veering his car into the freeway.

* * *

Yusei nodded his head. "Sounds good. Text me when you get here." He put his phone away in its holder. "He'll be here in a few."

They all had followed Kaz to his small office. Bruno handed Kaz the paperwork. He sat down as Breo handed his camera over to Kaz, and he looked the pictures over. Breo watched the young officer place the camera down and look through the paperwork. After Kaz looked the evidence over, Yusei's cell phone beeped. He pulled his phone out and walked to the main doors.

Crow parked the van as Yusei walked to the passager side, opened the door. Yusei grabbed the folder as Crow turned the van off and pulled the key out. Yusei pulled back, took hold of the door and closed. Crow had already gotten out of the van, and locked it. The two walked in and Crow followed Yusei to Kaz's office, to see the young officer was looking through the pictures on the computer.

"We have more info," Yusei spoke up, placing the stack of papers on the desk.

Kaz nodded his head. "This is good, but still not enough evidence."

"What other evidence do you need?" Breo asked. He started to become ansty.

"If you can bring the parts that were tampered with, I might be able to find out who sabotaged your friend's motorcycles," Kaz informed. Breo nodded his head

"We'll leave my motorcyle in the hanger," Crow suggested. Everyone was staring at him. "To see if they tamper with it, and if we get the right finger prints, Team Catastrophe will be disqualified!"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Yusei asked, facing his friend.

"Well, yeah! I'm going to race Harmann, anyways, and your going up against Nicolas, right?" Crow clarified to Jack as he faced his friend. The blonde-haird teen nodded his head.

"I'll see what I can do about your safty," Kaz informed. Jack and Crow nodded their heads.

Breo was about to thank them when Yusei's cell phone chimed. He pulled it out to see that it was a text message from Akiza. A teasing smile made its way to Yusei's lips.

"Jean and Andore are awake," he shared, glancing at Breo, "and they want to see you. They're in room 12 on the first floor." Jack, Crow, and Kaz glanced at each other, wondering what got into Yusei with wanting to tease Breo.

Breo looked eager, dismissing what Yusei was doing to him. "Can you tell Akiza that I'll be there after I take care of some business?"

"Sure. And don't worry, we'll take care of things from here."

Breo nodded his head. "Thanks so much for the help guys." With no other words he turned and made his way out.

To Be Continued ...


	68. Chapter 68

Heartaches

Chapter 68

By KellyQ

Dragan and Harald walked into the hospital to come across Akiza and Breo walking toward them. It took a moment for Harald and Dragan to realize that Breo was part of Team Unicorn, until they overheard them talking.

"Thanks so much for helping Jean and Andore get the care they needed," Breo said, extending his hand toward Akiza.

The nurse smiled and shook Breo's hand. "Sure. You are considered a friend to Yusei …" Breo nodded his head and let Akzia's hand go. "You better get going. They're waiting for you."

Again, Breo nodded and made his way down the hallway until footsteps reached his ears. Breo turned around to see Dragan and Harald making their way to the elevator that was on Breo's right. The blond-haired teen was about to turn and make his way down the hallway when Harald's voice got his attention.

"Are you from Team Unicorn?"

Breo nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Are your teammates alright?" Harald asked.

It took Breo a few moments to realize that the accident was all over the news. By now, everyone knew what happened in the race. "They're going to be fine, and I'm hoping they'll be out soon," Breo shared.

Harald nodded his head. Dragan turned to the side and pressed the button to the elevator. "That's good that everything turned out alright," Harald praised. The elevator door opened and Dragan walked in with Harald close behind. They both turned to face Breo just as the door closed. The blonde-haired teen stood there for moment, trying to remember why Harald and Dragan looked familiar, then it dawned on Breo – he just talked to Harald and Dragan from Team Ragnarok.

Breo turned and walked down the hallway, ready to see Jean and Andore when he walked in. The condition they were in was not as bad as Breo thought.

"Hey, guys," the blonde-teen murmured, hugging his teammates one at a time, before he pulled up a chair and sat down. "How are you guys feeling?"

"Sore," Jean murmured.

"We should be out of here by next week," Andore shared.

"That's great! I was worried that you guys were going to be in critical condition. Team Catastrophe tampered with your motorcycles, that's why you guys crashed. Yusei and his pals are going to race them tomorrow to see if they'll get Team Catastrophe disqualified from the race."

"We should thank him, considering that he doesn't have to do that for us," Andore spoke up.

Breo scratched the back of his head. "I asked for his help and he said that he was willing …" Jean and Andore glanced at each other. To them that made some since what happened during their race.

* * *

Jean and Andore weren't the only ones to look at each other, Kaz looked up when Trudge walked in, with his coat draped over his left shoulder.

"Trudge …"

Kaz was standing behind a table that had a large piece of Team Unicorn's safety parts that were on their motorcycle and telescope. It looked like Kaz had been looking at the parts for awhile.

"I'm going to help Mina move her things out of Jack's condo because she wants Bruno to have his own space," Trudge said.

Kaz raised a brow. "Where is she staying at?"

"She's going to stay at my place …."

**_Trudge, Jack, Bruno, and Yusei sat in the kitchen table. Mina placed coffee and sugar-free cup cakes on the table. Next, she placed a plate of stake, a bowl of mashed potatoes, and pitcher of gravy. _**

**_Trudge eyed the food. "This looks great Mina!" _**

**_The young housekeeper smiled and sat down. "Thanks. The reason why I decided to do this is because I've decided to move out." _**

**_Everyone was surprised. "You don't have to do that!" They all said at once. _**

**_"Did we do something wrong?" Bruno asked. _**

**_Mina shook her lead lightly. "You didn't do anything. There's not enough room for four people and I figured that it would be fair that you got my room, Bruno." _**

**_Bruno was shocked. "You don't have to do that! I'm happy to sleep on the couch!" _**

"To be honest, I'm happy that she's out of there," Trudge thinking back at two days ago. "I didn't feel comfortable about her living there – especially with Yusei and that new guy Bruno around."

By this point, Trudge had turned and was about to walk out of the room. He stopped when Kaz had moved from behind the desk and reached out to stop Trudge from walking out the door.

"There's no reason for you to think that low –just because people look like they're the type to cause harm – Yusei's not the type to hurt anyone! Neither would Jack, and Bruno!"

Trudge sighed. "I know. It's just that …" he paused for a moment, "with all the things that had changed in the past few months … I've been edgy."

Kaz nodded his head and moved his hand and Trudge walked out. _And I'm probably going to be edgy until the whole thing blows over, _Trudge thought, making his way to his motorcycle.

To Be Continued …


	69. Chapter 69

Heartaches

Chapter 69

By KellyQ

M.C glanced around the crowd. There was a lot of debate and murmurs among them. Trudge blinked a few times when Carly was done talking about the race between Team Unicorn and Team Catastrophe. He and Mina were sitting in the crowd. Behind them was Breo, overhearing their conversation.

"I hope that they get busted," Carly said, "considering that they probably tampered with Team Unicorn's motorcycles just so that they could win."

It took a few moments for Trudge to realize what was going on with the whole thing with Team Catastrophe winning against Team Unicorn. Now Trudge felt responsible for not paying attention to the background check with Team Catastrophe.

"If that's the case! I'm going to take them in for questioning!" Trudge got up and turned to make his way to the racetrack. Breo watched him for a moment. "They shouldn't be violating the rules!"

"Officer, wait!" Breo called out, getting to his feet too. He turned just as Trudge faced him. "Can you wait until after the race? Yusei and his pals know the risks – but Team Catastrophe needs to be put in their place for what they did to Jean and Androe, and Yusei and the others want to take them down too!"

"I understand –"

"You can step in if things get out of hand –"

"The race is about to start," Mina cut in. She didn't want to witness a verbal brawl. "If you boys will sit down, that would be great."

"But Mina..!" Trudge groaned in defeat when he realized and Breo looked relieved.

"Alright everybody!" M.C.'s voice boomed. He glanced around the arena. "Here's the next part of the race! Give it up for Team Catastrophe!" The crowd wasn't really showing enthusiasm for the team, but a few people saying 'bring it on hard core!' or 'You guys are cool!' when Nicolas, Harmann, and Hans came out onto the racetrack and waved. "Now really give it for Team 5D's!"

The crowd cheered and whistled, as Jack, Crow, Yusei, and Bruno made their way to the racetrack. The four waved as they walked to their pit stop.

Harmann and Hans glanced at them to see Crow walking up. The look in his eyes made Harmann, and Hans uncomfortable.

"Hey there," Crow greeted casually. "Did you guys have fun with Team Unicorn and my motorcycle?" Harmann and Hans pretended to look confused, as Nicolas remained calm. Crow couldn't help but chuckle. "I look forward to taking you guys down after the little stunt you did with Team Unicorn." Crow turned and started to walk away. "See you guys out on the racetrack, _gentlemen_!"

"Did you hear what that bitch just said?" Hans said nervously. "Do you really think …"

"No!" Nicolas's stricken voice got Hans to glance at him. "No. Don't worry about it. Right after the race with Harmann, that bitch won't know what hit him."

By this point, the crowd was ready and M.C had told Harmann and Crow to get ready to race. Both competitors walked their motorcycles out onto the track, and climbed on as they glanced at each other.

"This is going to be one wild ride," Harmann said, chuckling.

"On your mark, get set, Go!" M.C's voice boomed from where he was standing, overlooking the crowd.

The two competitors pulled on their clutches with their left hands and eased back on the throttles with their right hands, shifting gears with their left feet. They both eased off on the clutch as they used their left hands and twisted the throttles as they continued their accelerations.

The crowd watched anxiously as Crow and Harmann veered in and out. In the sea of people, Primo stood in the very last row with Lester sitting next to him. The red-haired child draped his long red hair over his shoulder and started to brush it softly. The roar of the crowd, the tension in the air, and the sound of the two motorcycles were calming to Lester. A soft smile was on his face and his eyes were closed gently.

Harmann swerved his motorcycle toward Crow and banged the side of the bike against Crow's motorcycle. The bike wobbled, jerked, and swerved. Crow griped the handlebars; he knew that Harmann was trying to get him to use his brakes. _I just have to hold out long enough until Harmann loses! _

Carly stood and pointed an accusing finger at Harmann, glancing at Trudge. "That's exactly what happened in the last race!"

_I know, _Breo thought, growling with hate and loath in his eyes, _they don't deserve to be behind the wheel!_ Just the sight of Team Catastrophe made his stomach turn.

Jack felt the same way as he watched Harmann bang the front of his bike against the rear of Crow's motorcycle. Jack growled and rose to his feet. "Crow! Get your ass off the track, and let me handle this!" he hollered, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"No! I got it, Jack!" Crow reassured, giving his friend a quick glance before turning his attention back to Harmann. "Besides, you guys don't deserve to be behind the wheel!"

"Oh? What's so important about Team Unicorn?" Harmann challenged, glancing over his shoulder.

"You should always respect your opponents, no matter who they are!" Crow lectured. He couldn't believe that Harmann, Hans, and Nicolas had stoop that low.

Harmann chuckled, but he didn't realize that he veered his bike off the racetrack until his motorcycle wobble and jerk. Harmann's eyes widened when he looked ahead to see that he was about to hit the fence post.

"Harmann!" Hans cried with fear, watching his teammate veer his bike out of the way of the post.

Crow smirked as he increased his speed and his motorcycle drove over the finish line. The crowd cheered for Crow as Harmann finally managed to get control of his motorcycle and drive over the finish line.

"The winner is Crow from Team 5D's!" M.C hollered with joy, watching Crow drive his bike to the pit stop. "The next up is Jack from Team 5Ds against Team Catastrophe's Nicolas! Both competitors, get ready!"

Crow watched his friend climb onto his motorcycle and veered into the starting line.

To Be Continued ...


	70. Chapter 70

Heartaches

Chapter 70

By KellyQ

Leo pulled his cell phone out and started to text message Crow when he got off his motorcycle. Luna and Rally watched for a moment as he pushed sent. Rally averted his attention to the pit stop and watched Crow pull out his cell phone too and smiled. Crow raised his hand and gave them the thumbs up.

Jack waited for a few moments for Nicolas to ride his motorcycle out and park it at the starting line. Harmann drove his bike to the pit stop, to see Nicolas was already on his motorcycle.

"I messed up huh …?" Harmann started.

Nicolas growled and gave his teammate a glare. "I'll deal with you later."

Nicolas started the engine and drove to the starting line. Jack glanced at his opponent for a moment.

"On your mark, get set, Go!" M.C's voice boomed.

Everyone averted their attention to the race. Primo glanced down at the race; Jack was the first to be a head of Nicolas. Jack wasn't too impressed with the way Nicolas handled his motorcycle.

"I'm not impressed, considering that I don't cheat just to get ahead!" Jack pointed out.

"Then show me what you have, Jack Atlus!" Nicolas challenged.

"Oh – I intend to!"

The race continued. M.C watched closely until a security guard walked up and tapped him on the shoulder. M.C blinked and turned his head. "What's up?" He asked in a hushed tone. The security guard leaned in and whispered something in M.C's ear. The race announcer blinked in shock and nodded his head. The security guard stepped back as M.C glanced at the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make! According the rules: if you tamper with your opponents motorcycles, you will be disqualified from the race!"

Gasps filled the arena. Hushed whispers started to travel like a sea of waves. Primo turned and started to make his way to the exit. Lester shrugged, got up and followed him out. Nicolas growled and sped up in attempts to pass Jack, but due to what happened in the last race, small patches of gravel were still on the racetrack, and Nicolas's motorcycle spun out of control after his tire came into contact.

Jack's eyes widened and veered out of the way when Nicolas's bike spun in his direction. Nicolas started to lose focus when he heard faint sirens in the distance. Jack revved his engine up, sped his motorcycle toward Nicolas, grabbed him, and pulled him off his bike just before the motorcycle crashed. Jack heaved his opponent over his shoulder and parked his motorcycle to the side of the racetrack.

A couple of motorcycle cops and one patrol car came into the racetrack. Harmann and Hans glanced at each other, knowing that they were busted. The two raised their hands and stepped out onto the racetrack. Everyone watched with awe, and it wasn't long before the crowd started to clap and cheer for Jack as Nicolas was slid off his shoulder. Nicolas managed to keep his footing as Kaz and two other officers handcuffed him and his other teammates.

"Why did you save me?" Nicolas mumbled feeling humiliated. He didn't make eye contact with Jack.

"I could just have let you go down with your bike like you did with Team Unicorn, but unlike you …. I don't do things like that to my opponents – now get your ugly ass off the track!" Jack ordered, pointing an accusing finger at Nicolas.

"You heard it here folks! Team Catastrophe is disqualified from the race for tampering with Team Unicorn's motorcycles!" M.C announced with joy, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. He was glad that Nicolas, Hans, and Harmann got what they deserved. "Now, Team 5Ds will compete against Team Taiyo, tomorrow! See you then!"

The crowd gradually made their way out of the stadium. Kaz and the other two cops hauled Team Catastrophe out. Breo was glad that Harmann, Hans, and Nicolas will never drive again. He got up and made his way through the sea of people. Once he was out of the arena, he spotted Yusei and his friends including a few kids.

Yusei turned when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He turned and smiled when Breo made his way over.

"Thank you guys for helping me out –" Breo said, bowing. "I can take care of things from here."

"Anytime," Yusei responded casually watching Breo turn and walk away.

"Good luck!" Crow called out to Breo as the blond-haired teen disappeared into the crowd. He turned his attention to Rally and the twins. "I better get you guys back home and make sure that Kiryu's alright."

* * *

Once Crow left with Leo, Luna and Rally, Yusei, Jack, and Bruno headed back to the condo.

"Do you want me to cheek on what Team Taiyo is all about?" Bruno asked.

Yusei shook his head. "I got the jest of who they were when we signed up for the race …" Yusei paused. "They're a group that came from the country side with one motorcycle. We're not going to have too much of a challenge with them."

"I'm going up against Yoshizo, right?" Jack clarified.

Yusei nodded his head. "Crow's going up against Jinbei and I'm going up against Taro."

Jack nodded his head, pondering how he was going to approach his opponent tomorrow.

To Be continued …


	71. Chapter 71

Heartaches

Chapter 71

By KellyQ

The crowd wasn't that big. M.C expected that. When he announced that Team Taiyo was going up against Team 5Ds, the crowd didn't seem to respond. M.C shrugged and glanced at the crowd.

"Good afternoon, and welcome! Let's welcome _Team Taiyo _shall we?" The crowd clapped and a few said 'you guys have improved' or 'go for it! You guys can win!' Hearing that gave Yoshizo, Jinbei, and Taro hope as they walked toward their assigned pit stop. "Now! Let's welcome the winning team 5Ds who beat _Team Unicorn_ and _Team Catastrophe!_"

The crowd cheered, clapped and whistled as Jack, Crow, Yusei, and Bruno stepped onto the racetrack. Carly and Mina jumped to their feet, encouraging Jack to win. He raised his right fist, hoping that they got the message he was going to do fine. Yusei glanced at Taro, Yoshizo, and Jinbei.

**_Yusei pulled to the side of the racetrack when he saw three teens taking turns riding on a green motorcycle that looked like it was going to fall apart. _**

**_"This isn't working!" Yoshizo said, parking the bike off to the side. Taro and Jinbei made their way over. Taro had his toolbox in his hand. He looked the motorcycle over and sighed. "What do you think we should do?" _**

**_Taro scanned the bike one more time. "Try not to rev the engine too hard and see what that does." _**

**_Yoshizo nodded his head and started the engine. Yusei cringed at first then he winced and stiffened at the sound. Carbon monoxide sputtered out of the green motorcycle. Yoshizo quickly got off as his other two teammates moved back. Jinbei let out a frustrated growl. Taro hung his head in defeat as Yoshizo looked like he was about to give up. _**

**_Yusei got off his motorcycle and looked closely at the tools and the green motorcycle. There was a Japanese logo of "Sunshine" on the side of their bike. _**_They must be the team from the countryside: Team Taiyo, **Yusei thought, walking up. **_

**_"Do you need help?" Yusei asked, startling them. _**

**_It took a moment for them to realize that someone had gotten their attention. They looked up and their eyes widened to see Yusei standing there. _**

**_Yoshizo was the first to snap out of his shock and his face lit up. "It's … Yusei Fudo!" _**

**_As soon as the name left Yoshizo's lips, Jinbei tensed up and stood protectively in front of the motorcycle. "We don't need your help!" _**

**_"Why not?" Taro asked, glancing at his blue-haired teammate. "He can help us find out what the problem is with our bike." _**

**_"What?" Jinbei was shocked. He pointed a finger at Yusei. "Don't you know who he is?"_**

**_"Why should it matter what type of person Yusei is?" Taro questioned, knowing what Jinbei was referring too. "Asking for help is not a bad thing! Besides, if we don't get our bike fixed, we're never going to get accepted by people in the city! They'll just think we're just a bunch of junkies!" _**

_I know how that feels, **Yusei thought remembering when he was picked on and teased. He was often beat up and called names by some of the other kids around the neighborhood all because he wanted to play with broken things and fix them. **_

**_Jinbei sighed after he looked at his teammate for a moment before he glanced at Yusei. "Fine. Do whatever you want." _**

**_Jinbei moved out of the way as Yusei made his way over to the motorcycle. He looked the tools over and grabbed a wrench. Jinbei watched Yusei's every move as he pulled out wires and hoses. _**

_I can't believe that Yusei Fudo is here – fixing our bike! **Yoshizo thought, trying to refrain himself from wanting to shake Yusei's hand and blurt out that he was a big fan. After a few moments, Yoshizo couldn't control himself; he reached into his pocket and pulled out what he thought was his small scrap book. **_

**_"Uhh … Yusei …" Yoshizo mumbled holding what were pictures of Yusei himself. "Can you sign this?" _**

**_Yusei paused and rose to his feet and looked closer at what he was going to sign. His eyes widened to see that it was pictures of himself. _**

**_Jinbei stepped up and yanked the pictures out of Yoshizo's hands. "What have I told you about leaving your fan stuff at home?" _**

**_Yoshizo looked down with shame and embarrassment. "I know. It's just that if we came to the city, I thought we might meet Yusei …" Taro listened wholeheartedly and smiled. _**

**_"Oh come on. He's an opponent we might have to face later!" Jinbei lectured. _**

**_"I – I'm sorry .. I'll do better next time …" _**

**_"It's okay," Yusei spoke up. They turned their attention to see that he was back in fixing their bike. "I'm flattered that you guys like me, and I can fix your bike." Yusei had a humble look on his face. "I know what it feels like to build things or repairing …" _**

**_"Really?" Yoshizo asked with interest laced in his voice. _**

**_Yusei nodded his head. "Yeah. I always loved to build things, and see what I can conjure up." He pulled back and stood up. "It should be fixed." _**

**_Taro nodded his head and started the engine. There was no popping sound, and the motor gave off a purring sound. Yusei smiled, knowing that he might have helped an opponent, but didn't care – he just wanted to make sure that they were to fulfill their dreams. _**

"Alright!" M.C.'s voice boomed, snapping Yusei out of his memory. "First up is _Team 5D's _Jack Atlus against _Team Taiyo's _Yoshizo! Competitors get ready!" M.C watched Jack roll his white motorcycle out onto the racetrack. One second later, Yoshiizo did the same. "On your mark get set, Go!"

To Be continued … ****


	72. Chapter 72

Heartaches

Chapter 72

By KellyQ

Jack observed how Yoshizo was driving his motorcycle. _He really needs to practice, _Jack thought, trying to pass by him, but passing was impossible with the way Yoshizo was nervously controlling the motorcycle. He was swerving in and out of racetrack.

"Come on! Let's see some action here!" some random guy shouted from the crowd.

It wasn't long before the crowd started to complain. Yoshizo looked sheepishly at them. He knew the way he was handling the motorcycle was the best; he uncomfortable going up against Jack. The blond-haired groaned. _Fine, if they want a show, I'll give it to them! _Jack thought. He gripped the handlebars and jerked his motorcycle up so that it was on its back wheel. Yoshizo paused for a moment and watched with awe as Jack passed him before he went back to concentrating on steering the bike he was sharing with Taro and Jinbei.

The crowd seemed to quiet down with their complaints a little as Jack brought the front of his motorcycle down. He firmly pushed the shift lever upwards with his left foot, eased off on the clutch with his left hand and twisted the throttle with his right, giving his motorcycle speed. Yoshizo quickly glanced at Yusei, wondering if he was watching, and Yusei was. Taro and Jinbei was too. _I just have to make sure that I last long enough to make the crowd realize that we're not bad, _Yoshizo thought. A boost of confidence replaced nervousness that Yoshizo felt. He managed to have better control of the bike he was sharing.

Jack looked over his shoulder to see Yoshizo had managed to stabilize his bike. The race continued. Jack made sure that he maneuvered out of the way of Yoshizo when he tried keeping the motorcycle from wobbling. _I guess I can drag this race long enough for Yoshizo to ride his motorcycle properly – or I can just take him out! _Jack was so deep in thought, he failed to realize that Yoshizo had passed by him, until a gust of dust, wind, and carbon monoxide brushed against Jack. _Two can play at that game! _Jack thought, snapping out of his shock. He clutched with his left hand and eased back on the throttle with his right hand, shifting gears with his foot. Jack eased off on the clutch as he used his left hand and twisted the throttle as he continued his acceleration.

M.C watched the two competitors try to pass by each other. The crowd started to whisper among each other, and it started to make Jinbei nervous.

Taro placed a hand on Jinbei's shoulder, giving his friend reassurance. "Relax, Jinbei. Yoshizo knows that he can't beat Jack, but if we just stay in the race long enough for the crowd to respect us … then we're good to go." _That's_ _what I'm hoping, _Taro thought, glancing around the arena.

_**Taro quickened his pace with a rolled up newspaper in his hand as he made it through the rows of blueberry patches. Jinbei and Yoshizo turned when familiar footsteps reached their ears. **_

"_**What's up?" Jinbei asked, surprised. **_

"_**You know how we've always talked about living in the city?" **_

"_**Yea," Yoshizo responded. **_

"_**I think I found a way!" Taro unrolled the newspaper and the first page the article of the World Racing Grand Prix. "What do you guys think? Should we do it?" Jinbei and Yoshizo glanced at each other, before Jinbei sighed. He had hoped that he had talked Taro out of it, but apparently not. Taro studied his close friend. "I'll be alright …" he paused when Jinbei turned away, gazing at nothing in particular. Taro frowned. "I thought you were going to come with me!" Jinbei shifted his weight. Yoshizo glanced at the two nervously.**_

"_**I think it would be fun!" Yoshizo spoke up. **_

"_**So do I, but I really want Jinbei to come with us," Taro said, looking down. Jinbei straightened up, glanced at his friend, and studied him. Taro did have a determined look, but he also sounded alone. "There's nothing here for us," Taro started, glancing at Jinbei. "Come on, we should do it!" **_

"_**I agree with Taro! We should leave!" Yoshizo had a thoughtful expression and a light blush made its way to his face. "Who knows? We might find love while we're there!" **_

_**Jinbei**_ _**whacked his friend on the back of his head with his hardened fist. "You watch too much TV," he mumbled as Yoshizo rubbed the back of his head.**_

_**Taro walked up and placed a hand on Jinbei's shoulder. The soft reassuring touch snapped his attention to Taro, and they stared at each other for a moment. "I really want you to come with me! Please!" **_

"_**Fine, I'll come with you," Jinbei said, giving in. He couldn't help but smile as he stared into Taro's brown eyes that were full of warmth. **_

"Just two laps to go!" came M.C's booming voice, snapping Taro out of his memory.

Taro glanced back at the race to see that Yoshizo was keeping up with Jack until the front wheel to the motorcycle Yoshizo shared with Taro Jinbei started to wobble. _Come on! Don't give out on us now, _Yoshizo thought. He was having a hard time trying to control his bike. Jack saw this as an opportunity to zigzag in front of Yoshizo to cross the finish line. Yoshizo blinked when a gust of wind brushed passed him as Jack increased his speed. The white motorcycle rode over the finish line, and the crowd roared.

"And the winner is Jack Atlus from _Team 5ds!" _M.C announced over the cheering crowd.

To Be Continued ...


	73. Chapter 73

Heartaches

Chapter 73

By KellyQ

Crow shook his head as Jack drove his motorcycle into the pit stop, the red-haired teen was already on his own motorcycle ready to go. "Do you have to show off like that, Jack?" Crow complained.

Yusei stepped up and stood next to Crow. "Don't go too easy on Jinbei," Yusei suggested.

"The second one from _Team 5D's is _Crow Hogan against _Team_ _Taiyo's _Jinbei! Competitors get ready!" Came M.C's voice.

Crow smiled. "Don't worry. I'm just going to have fun." He started the engine and veered his motorcycle to starting line.

Crow glanced at Team Taiyo's pit stop to see Taro fixing the wheel before Jinbei got on. The dark-haired teen put on the helmet, and sat down on the bike after Taro pulled back. Crow smiled when he saw that they had faith in each other.

"You're all set Jin," Taro said. Jinbei nodded, started the engine veered the green motorcycle to the starting line.

"Alright! On Your mark, get set, go!"

The two competitors pulled on their clutches with their left hands and eased back on the throttles with their right hands, shifting gears with their left feet. They both eased off on the clutch as they used their left hands and twisted the throttles as they continued their accelerations.

The crowd watched with interest as the two competitors zigzagged. Crow started to think that he was going to have a little bit of a challenge.

Crow increased his speed and glanced at Jinbei. "Not bad! What's your name again?" Crow waited for Jinbei to reintroduce himself, but when he didn't, Crow studied him a little bit more, to see Jinbei had toned everything out. Crow shrugged it off.

_I'm going to make sure that we get accepted so that Taro can feel comfortable being here, _Jinbei thought.

_**Taro, Yoshizo, and Jinbei stepped back to look at their handy work of their green motorcycle they had built themselves. **_

"_**We did it!" Yoshizo chirped, grinning. **_

_**Taro sat down and started the engine. The motorcycle vibrated and the engine humed. **_

"_**We should test it out!" Yoshizo insisted. **_

_**Taro gripped the handlebars and pushed the bike forward with his feet. The engine still 'humm'ed and purred. **_

The crowd continued to watch the race unfold. Crow and Jinbei were shoulder to shoulder with their speed. In the sea of people, on the second row was Trudge, Carly, Mina, the twins, and Rally watched with awe. Jinbei was driving the green motorcycle skillfully.

The crowd along with people watching the race on TV, like Harald, Dragan_, Brave, and Team Unicorn were_ starting to think that Team Taiyo was good. M.C raised a brow as he continued to watch. The crowd started to have hushed conversation amongst themselves. Yusei observed the race and the crowd. He was trying to understand what was going on with the way the crowd was responding to Team Taiyo.

"If you ask me," Jack spoke up, "I think that Team Taiyo is not doing all too much."

Yusei 'humm'ed in response, he was still observing how things were progressing with the race. Then it occurred to him, Team Taiyo was trying to get the crowd to accept them as a team from the countryside.

"I don't think they're here for the money, or showing what teamwork mean, I think there here to get acceptance from the crowd," Yusei clarified.

Jack raised a brow and glanced sideways at his boyfriend, before he did a double take on the race. The roar of the crowd encouraged Jinbei to win. "That's right. You told me that they came from the country," Jack said.

Yusei nodded his head, still keeping his eyes fixed on the race to see that Jinbei was a head of Crow, but Crow started to have a hard time controlling his bike. _Oh, come on, _Crow thought, _I fixed the brakes and gave it new stuff! How can I have problems? _

Jinbei glanced behind him to see that Crow was having trouble steering his motorcycle. A smirk made its way to his lips. Jinbei revved up and a gust of wind, and carbon monoxide, trailed behind the green motorcycle as it rode over the finish line. The crowd clapped and cheered.

"The winner is Jinbei from _Team Taiyo!" _M.C said, amazed.

Crow grumbled as he pulled into the pit stop to see that Yusei was ready. "Sorry about that."

Yusei smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"I have an announcement to make!" M.C's voice boomed, getting everyone's attention. "Team Taiyo means Sunrise! And if I'm not mistaken, it means that they believe in being positive, showing miracles, and have strength!"

One by one the crowd started to glance at each other, and it wasn't long before a random guy got up and looked down to see Taro and Yusei. Taro scanned the crowd, and it was a different approach to see warmth what he and his friends got when from the crowd in the country.

"Competitors, are you ready?" M.C asked. They both nodded their heads. "On your mark get set, go!"

A gust of wind, carbon monoxide, trailed behind both motorcycles, as they were both neck to neck. Yusei glanced at Taro and it was the first time Yusei had a good look at his opponent. Taro averted his gaze to Yusei, and they both smiled.

"Shall we give them something to remember?" Yusei suggested.

Taro caught on and a respectful look made its way to his face. "Sure! But don't think I'm going to go easy on you!"

The smile on Yusei's face didn't leave as he revved up the engine. He couldn't help but feel carefree and humble. "I'm ready whenever you are!"

To Be Continued …


	74. Chapter 74

Heartaches

Chapter 74

By KellyQ

The race was relaxed and both opponents were shoulder to shoulder. Taro was handling the motorcycle with skills, and the crowd started to watch with interest. M.C also watched carefully, to see that they were on their third lap. People watching the race on TV, like Team Unicorn, Team Ragnarok, and Taro's dad was impressed that Taro got the crowd to chant and cheer.

Harald, Brave and Dragan sat casually on the couch.

"I wasn't expecting that!" Brave commented, watching the crowd chant.

"We have a colorful crowd this year don't we," Harald shared to Brave, who nodded a 'uh-huh' in response.

Taro's father watched closely at the TV screen. The crowd was chanting, Taro was on his last lap, and Jinbei and Yoshizo were encouraging their friend to win. Taro's father was proud that his son fulfilled his dream.

From the pit stop, Yoshizo and Jinbei glanced around the arena with hope. The crowd was cheering for Taro and their team.

"They're cheering for us!" Yoshizo said, shocked.

"I know!" Jimbei commented, amazed.

Within the crowd in the second row, Rally, Luna, Leo, Carly, Mina, and Trudge shifted in their seats.

"You have to admit that Taro is skilled on a motorcycle that's barley functioning," Trudge commented.

Leo scowled at him, before he got to his feet, cupping his mouth with his hands. "Don't lose Yusei!"

Leo's cry fell to deaf ears. The roar of the crowd increased as the two opponents started on their forth lap. Taro blinked when the sound of the crowd reached his ears. He glanced around the arena to see that the crowd was cheering him on. Taro's face lit up with joy. _We … we did it,_ Taro thought, remembering how he encouraged Jinbei and Yoshizo to come with him to the city. He revved up the engine and he increased his speed, when he was going to pass the pit stop. Taro eyed his friends as they got up. Taro couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell that Jinbei and Yoshizo were encouraging him to win.

By this point, Taro was ready to win. He glanced over his shoulder at Yusei who had an intense look on his face. Taro tried to read Yusei's expression, but his gaze made Taro cringe lightly. _The last thing I want is to make Taro nervous, _Yusei thought when Taro quickly went back to concentrating on driving.

The race continued until Taro's motorcycle started to make some funny sounds. _What the … _Taro thought. He was starting to have a hard time steering his bike. The back wheel started to wobble, and black smoke started to come out of the pipes. The crowd paused as they watched Taro drive his motorcycle dangerously. Jinbei and Yoshizo eyed each other, concluding that they had lost.

Yusei closed his eyes for a moment, feeling sorry for Taro and his teammates. With a sigh, Yusei increased his speed and drove over the finish line. Jack, Crow, and Bruno and pumped their fists out of victory. Rally, Luna and, Leo hugged each other, while Carly, Mina and Trudge watched what was going on with Taro.

Jinbei and Yoshizo jumped to their feet. They watched helplessly as Taro blindly drove over the finish line. The smoke and steamed around the motorcycle had cleared as he managed to drive into the pit stop.

M.C. blinked a few times, trying to process what happened. He wasn't the only one. Taro still sat there, trying to process what just occurred – he and his teammates had lost the race. Jinbei and Yoshizo ran up and stood next Taro. They were both heartbroken for Taro as they stood there with tears in their eyes.

"And the winner is _**our**_ shooting Star – Yusei Fudo from _Team 5D's_!" M.C announced.

"We … lost … didn't we … I'm sorry …" Taro finally spoke up in a timid voice.

Jinbei growled softly. He hated it when Taro talked like that. One by one, people in the crowd glanced at each other. A random guy started to clap, and pretty soon, people joined. Yoshizo gave the crowd a quick glance. Jinbei growled again, wondering why Taro wasn't acknowledging what was going on around him.

"Taro!" Jinbei said sternly. His friend blinked and all the sounds he blocked out, reached his ears. "Do you here that?" Jinbei spoke up. Taro glanced around to see that people were clapping and cheering. "It's the crowd expecting us!" Taro slowly turned his head to face his teammates.

"He's right, Taro. We accomplished our goals," Yoshizo said, blinking back the tears.

"Yoshizo …" Taro whispered.

"Your friends have a point," came Yusei's voice. Taro, Yoshizo, and Jinbei turned their heads to see Yusei, Crow, Bruno, and Jack walking up. "You got the crowd to accept you, and that's not easy."

"Maybe …"

Crow shook his head. "We crossed the finish line, but you guys are the real victors."

Jack nodded his head. "More practice and you guys will do fine."

Taro was touched that Yusei and all his friends cared. He nodded his head, got off his bike, and turned to face his teammates. "Thanks for helping me! I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys!"

In one swift motion, Yoshizo and Jinbei hugged Taro. The crowd clapped and cheered again as the evening sun shown down on the trio.

To Be continued …


	75. Chapter 75

Heartaches

Chapter 75

By Kellyq

Bruno blinked a few times. "The race is canceled?"

Mina nodded her. "It rained hard last night flooding the track, and it's going to continue to rain for the next five days."

Jack, Yusei, Bruno, and Crow sitting in Jack's living room, shocked. No one paid attention to happened after the race with Team Toiya. Jeager called Mina saying that he was going to cancel the race. So she called everyone and Jack decided to have the meeting at his place.

"So … technically, we're going to have to wait," Jack grumbled. He wasn't thrilled having to wait until he was going to have his rematch with Dragan.

"Sorry, Mr. Atlus, but Jeager made the decision early this morning," Mina sympathized. Jack grumbled, slouched in his chair and crossed his arms.

Crow bit his lip, trying not to snicker about his friend's behavior. "That's okay with me. It will give me time to work on my motorcycle …" Crow paused and scratched the back of his head nervously. "I do want to ask a favor, Yusei …" the dark-haired teen glanced at Crow. "Can you look after Kiryu for the next couple of days? I'll have my bike done by then."

"Sure. I have no problem with that. It would be nice to see him," Yusei answered.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Mina asked. "Like helping out with the kids?"

"I can help out too," Bruno suggested. "I'm not too bad with kids."

"If you guys could … that would be great! It would give Aero and Blister a break from taking care of the tikes."

"I have no problem with that," Mina and Bruno said at the same time.

* * *

All the kids moaned in disappointment when they all heard that the race was canceled.

Kiryu frowned. "No you on TV?"

Crow blinked. "You watched me?" A soft blush made its way to Crow's cheeks.

"He wasn't paying attention until we started to root for you," Aero explain.

Crow smiled. He was touched that Kiryu would even do that. "Anyways … Mina is going to stay here for a couple of days, so that you and Blister can have some time for yourself." All the kids started to protest. "Calm down." Crow chuckled. "She's not that bad, and it's only fair that Aero and Blister have some time to themselves." The kids started to talk in hushed whispers, and one by one, they agreed. "Good."

"When is the race going to start again?" Leo asked.

"I don't know. The weather is going to be nasty for the rest of the week," Crow answered.

The kids groaned again, but they stopped when there was a knock at the door. Blister turned, and made his way to the front door. He opened it to see Mina and Bruno. Blister stepped out of the way for the duo to come in. Rally was the first to walk up and hug Mina.

"Now that you guys are here, I was going to drop off Kiryu at Yusei's."

"Yus?"

Crow smiled. "Yea! You're going to see Yusei! Would you like that?" Kiryu nodded his head. "Great!"

"Are you going to come back?" some other kids asked.

"I need to fix my motorcycle before the next race," Crow explained.

Leo frowned. "Aren't you and Yusei are going up against Team Ragnarok?" Crow nodded his head. "Be careful! I checked up on their background, and they don't mess around on the track!"

Crow smiled. "Don't worry about it. I know them." With that, Crow pushed Kiryu's wheel chair out the door.

* * *

Carly looked out the window to see heavy mist blanketed the city. Misty walked up holding two cups of tea in her hand. Carly turned slightly and took the cup of tea, and turned to face the window again.

"I'm assuming that the race is going to be canceled," Misty spoke up, after she took a sip of her tea.

Carly nodded her head. "The race won't start again until next week. It's too bad, but that's okay. I have to work the rest of his week and half of next week anyways."

"I see." Misty took another sip. "How about I take you out camera shopping?"

Behind, Carly's thick spiral glass, her eyes widened with confusion. "What's wrong with my camera?" she asked, facing the model.

"You're a good photographer, Carly, and I think you deserve a good one," Misty answered.

Carly smiled. "Sure! There was one at Camera World that I always had my eye one, but I never had enough money to buy it."

"Shall we get going?" Misty suggested.

"Okay! Let me get my bag!"

* * *

Jack walked into the Hospital to see Akiza sitting at the front desk, looking at something at the computer screen. Movement caught her eye and she shifted in her chair, and looked up.

"Hi, Jack."

"Is Martha awake?" He asked.

A kind smile made its way to Akiza's face. "She should be." Akiza rose to her feet, and walked out from behind the desk. Jack followed her down the hallway. "I'm glad you came. When I told Martha that you were coming, she was thrilled."

Jack cocked his head side to side twice, as they continued to walk. They made it to Martha's room and Akiza knocked gently on the door.

"_**Come in." **_

Akiza opened the door and the two walked in. Martha was sitting upright in bed, and she looked more alert. For the first time, Jack took in her appearance, and his heart dropped. Martha was paler than was, and skinnier. Jack walked to the right side of the bed, leaned in and gently pulled Martha close. He hugged her tenderly in his arms. Martha smiled and hugged Jack. She could scene that Jack was trying to refrain himself from falling apart.

"I'll be okay, Jack," she whispered in his ear.

Jack let out a shaky sigh. "I … I just don't want to lose you, that's all."

"I'm not going anywhere. I love you and the others to much to even leave."

Jack nodded his head and gently laid Martha down. "That's good, because I'd rather not see you dead, and neither would Yusei."

A sad smile made its way to Martha's lips. "How is he doing?"

"He's doing alright for the most part, even though he hasn't gotten that much sleep."

Martha nodded her head. "I know. I can tell that he hasn't. He's going to make himself sick if this continues."

"Don't worry Martha, The race has been canceled for the rest of the week," Jack informed, "so I'll try to get Yusei to rest."

"Please do."

Jack nodded his head, scooted closer and hugged Martha, before he got up and walked out. He stood there to see Dragan walk out of the room next store. They glanced at each other.

To Be Continued …


	76. Chapter 76

Heartaches

Chapter 76

By Kellyq

Awkward tension was in the air as Jack and Dragan continued to stare at each other. Jack was the first to break his gaze and stare at nothing in particular. "It looks like we're not going to have our rematch until next week."

All Dragan did was nod his head, turn and walk down the hallway. Jack scoffed and was about to go down the same direction Dragan did, but the door that he came out was slightly ajar. _That's the second time I saw Dragan come out of that room, _Jack thought. He cautiously walked to the door and peered in. A man laid on the bed with his leg propped up. He looked like Dragan but older. Jack frowned with confusion and things started to slowly sink in. _That must be Dragan's father!_ Memories came back of his previous talk with Dragan about his father being in a car accident during their last race.

Jack stepped back, turned and walked out of the hospital. He put his helmet on when he got to his motorcycle. Jack lifted his leg over the set and sat down. He pulled out the key and inserted it in the ignition, and started the engine. Jack drove to police station. Once inside, he saw Kaz working away on the computer.

The young officer looked up and raised a brow. "Hi, Jack. What's going on?"

Jack looked around and drummed his fingertips before he glanced back at Kaz. "I need to talk to Jeager."

Kaz raised his brow again. "I'll see what I can do, but I think he's out for lunch." The young officer shifted the black Hardware-based IP phone. He put the receiver to his ear and pressed a few buttons. Kaz drummed his fingertips for full minute until he paused and put the phone back to its cradle. "He's out for lunch."

Jack scoffed looked around and drummed his fingertips on the table. He turned just as the door opened to see Jeager walk in. His silhouette moved across the floor but it was soon overlapped with another. Jeager stopped and slowly glanced up see Jack looming over him.

"H-hi … how may I help you, Jack?" the clownish man uttered, feeling hostile vibes.

"Dragan - from team Ragnarok … why wasn't I told about his father being an accident?'"

Jeager blinked a few times. "I don't know – maybe it was because you brought in good money and Godwin wanted it that way …" he paused when he realized that he said too much.

Before Jeager knew it, he was shoved roughly out of the way. Kaz and Jeager watch Jack walk out quietly. Jack looked up at the gray sky, allowing the rain splatter on his face. He couldn't believe that Godwin wanted to use him like that. Jack was so deep in thought he didn't realize that Kaz joined him until an umbrella was over his head.

"I'm fine, Kaz. Just a little shocked how Godwin talked me into racing when he probably had me race against the weakest racers out there."

Kaz was about to protest, but Jack stopped him, by putting his hand up. The blonde-haired teen walked over to his motorcycle, got on, and started the engine. Kaz sighed and watched Jack drive out of the parking lot.

* * *

Across town, Yusei smiled after he opened the door for Crow and Kiryu. Yusei moved out of the way for Crow to wheel Kiryu into the living room. Yusei closed the door and followed the two to the living room. Crow shook the backpack off his shoulders and Yusei took it and heaved it onto the couch.

"I'll have my motorcycle done by tomorrow," Crow informed. He knelt next to Kiryu. "You be good, okay?" Kiryu nodded his head and watched the two walk out of the living room. Before Crow opened the door, he turned to face Yusei. "Thanks for looking after him."

They smiled to each other, before Crow walked out, closing the door softly behind him. Yusei turned and walked back to the living room to see Kiryu shifting around in the chair. Yusei stepped up and put his hand on his shoulder to get him to stop. Kiryu looked up and smiled.

"Do you want to watch TV?" Yusei asked.

Kiryu nodded his head. "Watch TV too?"

Yusei shrugged, grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. He sat causally on the couch, and started to flip through the channels. He found a channel with Anime and turned it up.

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Jack, Yusei, Kiryu, and Crow. Misty got Carly a fancy camera and the model decided to take Carly to her studio. The spiral glasses shined as Carly glanced around with awe. She always wanted to know what a modeling studio looked like.

Misty watched her for a moment. "Do you want to try modeling?"

Carly blushed with embarrassment. "I'm not that beautiful!"

Misty chuckled. "I think you are."

Carly felt uncomfortable, and she laughed nervously. "Thanks, but I'm nothing special."

"Anyways," Misty said, changing the subject. She didn't want to make Carly uneasy. "Shall we see how this camera works?"

Carly blushed and nodded her head, drumming her fingers on the side of the camera.

To Be Continued …


	77. Chapter 77

Heartaches

Chapter 77

By KellyQ

The next day, Crow picked Kiryu up from Yusei's. The crippled teen's face lit up when he saw Crow. Yusei smiled when he saw them hug.

"Has he been a good boy?" Crow asked, looking at Yusei.

"Apart from having minor seizures, he's doing alright," Yusei said, walking behind the wheelchair and rubbed the back of Kiryu's head.

Crow's eyes widened with horror, and his blood ran cold because at the sound of the word _seizures_. He immediately shook it off and straightened up. Kiryu watched with confusion. He didn't like the expressions on their faces.

"Crow? Yus?" Kiryu asked, looking at them both. They just smiled at him as Crow pushed the wheelchair toward the front door. Yusei followed them, and moved ahead, so that he could open the door.

Crow paused and looked at his childhood friend. "Thank you so much, Yusei." With that, Crow pushed the wheelchair out into the pouring down rain.

Yusei closed the door, turn around and walked back into the living room to see Jack emerging from the kitchen. The blonde-haired teen had a cup of coffee in his hand. Jack sat casually on the couch and started to sip on his coffee. Yusei joined him a second later with he laptop under his armpit. He sat down at the table, put his laptop down and opened it up.

"I'm going to visit Martha," Jack said, after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh," Yusei said, looking up.

Jack got up, went to the kitchen and sat his empty cup of coffee in the sink. He then turned and made his way out the door. The rain was heavy in the air as Jack made his way to his motorcycle. When he got to the hospital, he saw that Carly was sitting behind the front desk. She looked up and smiled.

"What are you doing here, Jack?" Carly asked, surprised.

"I'm here to see Martha," Jack answered, walking up.

"Do you want me to tell her that you are here?"

Jack shook his head. "No, that's okay. She knows that I'm going to see her."

Carly just nodded her head and went back to looking at some things on the computer. Jack walked past, and made his way to the elevator. Once he was on the third floor, he decided that he was going to check on Dragan's father_. I'll see Martha first_, Jack thought. Once he was inside, Martha was watching TV.

"Hi, Jack," she said cheerfully.

"Hi," he said, making his way over to a nearby chair. Jack took off his soggy wet coat and draped it on the chair, before he sat down.

They both watched TV for a half an hour. Jack decided that he was going to get something to eat when he was going to see what was going on with Dragan's father. Getting up, Jack walked out and closed the door behind him. He glanced at the door in front of him; Jack crept to the door and slowly pushed it open. The room was semi-dark and warm, with open curtains that provided a little light.

"May I help you?" Came Harald's voice. Jack turned to see him standing there with a piercing look in his golden eyes. Jack straightened up; feeling a little uncomfortable with the way Harald was staring at him. It was almost like Harald was trying to see what Jack was thinking. "You two will have your rematch next week."

"Fine," Jack said, trying not to sound irritated. All he wanted to know was what happened to Dragan's father, and he was starting to feel that he couldn't express himself.

Harald raised an eyebrow and watched Jack turn around, making his way to the cafeteria. Once he was there, he saw Carly sitting at one of the tables, looking at a newspaper. He walked up and decided to sit next to her. The creaking of the chair got Carly's attention. She looked up to see Jack sitting there with an agitated expression.

"What's wrong, Jack?" Carly asked.

"I don't know," Jack said, rubbing his face out of frustration.

"Did you have a fight with Yusei?" Carly asked, raising eyebrow.

Jack shook his head. "All I wanted to find out what happened during my race with Dragan."

Carly's spiral glasses shined, and her eyebrows knitted together. "But I thought that the race between you two will happen next week?"

"Dragan and I had a race four months ago. The one thing I didn't know was that Dragan's father was in a car accident until now," Jack explained, looking at nothing in particular.

Carly 'humm'ed. "That does sound a little suspicious to me," she shared, folding the newspaper up. "What does Dragan know about the race? Have you asked him what happened?"

"I tried to go to Dragan's father, but Harald prevented me from even setting foot in the room," Jack explained finally looking at Carly.

Carly frowned, remembering that Dragan and Harald are on a team called Team Ragnarok, including Brave. "You and Yusei are going up against a tough team, huh?" Carly didn't quite understand what was going on, but she wanted to make Jack feel better.

Jack shrugged his left shoulder, and got up to get something to eat. He got a whole-wheat tunafish sandwich, and a bag of sea salt chips. Once he paid for the items, Jack made his way back to Martha's room.

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Jack came home past five in the afternoon. Yusei was still sitting at the table, working on his laptop. The dark-haired teen looked up to see Jack walk toward their room. Yusei was about to get up when his cell phone chimed. He looked down to see that he got a text message from Harald that he had sent around ten in the morning. Yusei frown with confusion as he picked it up and opened the text.

_Where did this come from?_ Yusei thought. He was going put his phone down, but he decided not to and walked to the bedroom. He opened the door to see Jack getting dressed.

"I got a text message from Harald that Dragan didn't feel comfortable with you being near is father," Yusei said, sitting on the bed.

Jack groaned." What's wrong with finding out what happened to Dragan's father?"

"You're talking about your first race with him, aren't you?" Yusei concluded.

Jack scoffed in reply, and the atmosphere around him turned stifling. "I thought I won _that _race, but I guess not!" With that, Jack stormed out and slammed the door shut.

Yusei sighed, knowing that it was going to take a while before he was going to get Jack to express how he felt and where he was coming from.

To Be Continued …


	78. Chapter 78

Heartaches

Chapter 78

KellyQ

Aero was making his way to the computer room with a tray of crackers, Orange Juice, and cheese. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

_**"Come In,"**_ Came Blister's Voice.

Aero opened the door, walked to the right side of the computer, and placed the Items on the table. He glanced at the screen to see that Blister was looking up information about Team 5D's and last opponents in the last part of the race.

"How's it coming with the information about Team New World?" Aero asked, stepping behind his boyfriend and wrapping his arms around him.

"It's going to take a while for me to find anything," Blister groaned, rubbing his hand on Aero's arm. "No matter how hard I try, I'm still coming up with a dead-end."

Aero straightened up, and started to rub Blister's shoulders. He moaned as Aero worked his slender strong fingers along the base of Blister's neck. Aero continued to rub until there was a chiming sound coming from the computer, indicating that Blister got e-mail. Blister opened up the e-mail to see that it was from Yusei:

_**You guys should take a break from helping me and my friends out for a while and focus on each other. I'm sure that Aero feels that he would like to have some fun, and alone time with you.**_

Blister's hands danced around the keyboard as he typed out his thoughts to Yusei. Aero watched for a moment as smiled. After the e-mail was sent, the two walked out and closed the door.

* * *

Yusei got up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom. He made his way to the couch to see Jack sitting there.

"I didn't mean to blow my top a few minutes ago," Jack started to explain, " it's hard for me to get over the fact that I was used as a product during all the races that I participated in before Godwin left."

Yusei nodded his head and sat down next to his boyfriend. "That may be true that Godwin made quite a bit of money when it came only you racing. But you shouldn't be torturing yourself over the whole ordeal."

Jack grumbled in response. "I thought I won all those races, but Godwin picked out week opponents for me and I didn't even realize it."

"Listen, Jack," Yusei sighed, trying to keep his irritation under control. He also knew that Jack was talking about some of the races that he wasn't in. "You do know how to race, and you never let things get to you, so why start now?"

Now Jack was a little irritated himself. "If this whole conversation was to get me to understand Dragan, don't bother - he wouldn't understand."

With that, Jack got up and made his way to the front door. He opened it, and walked out, closing the door. Yusei sighed and shook his head. He pulled out his cell phone and started to text Harald what he thought Jack was feeling.

* * *

Harald pulled out his cell phone when it chimed to see that he got a text message from Yusei. He smiled after he read the text. Harald got up from where he was sitting on the couch and made his way to the bedroom he shared with Dragan. He opened the door to see his boyfriend getting dressed.

"I just got a text from Yusei saying that he's going help Jack understand what's going on," Harald informed.

"Good for him," Dragan muttered, slipping on his boots.

Harald frowned with confusion. "Are you nervous that Jack won't understand how you feel?" he was now sitting next to his boyfriend.

Dragan rubbed his face with his hands out frustration, and averted his gaze to the window. "I don't know …. during our race he didn't even care about the announcement about what happened to my father."

Harald nodded his head. "Either way, you two will have your rematch," he said, rubbing Dragan's leg.

Dragan shifted a little and turned to give his boyfriend a kiss. Harald deepened the kiss, feeling the need to calm Dragan down.

To be Continued…


	79. Chapter 79

Heartaches

Chapter 79

By Kellyq

The rest of the week was edgy. Martha was starting to see that Jack was a becoming a little irritable to be around. She wanted to talk to him, but she was going to have to wait until she got to see Yusei. Martha's chance came two days before the race.

Yusei walked in and hugged her. "How is everything?"

"I'm doing just fine. How about you? I've noticed that Jack has been a little irritable."

Yusei sighed and sat across from her. "I think he's been trying to cope with the fact that Godwin used Jack."

Martha's eyes widened with shock. "What?" The more she thought about it the more she felt sorry for Jack. Now she understood where his irritation and frustration was coming from.

Yusei studied Martha for a moment. "I tried talking to Jack also, but he just won't even talk to me about how he feels."

Martha smiled. "He doesn't want people to think that he is weak," she concluded. "Especially in front of people or someone who he cares and loves."

Yusei caught on with the tone of voice and the look that Martha had. She's right, Yusei thought, remembering how Jack fought in the past. It reminded Yusei of some heroic knight or Prince who fought for his territory or fought to protect the people he loved.

"He wasn't always a fighter until you came along," Martha spoke up, snapping Yusei out of his memories. He gave Martha his full attention. She had a smile on her face. "It was the first time I've noticed that Jack was willing to put out effort to even engage with anyone," Martha started to explain.

Yusei nodded his head. "He was the second person I saw when I was a baby, considering that I don't remember anything before I came to live with you."

A sad smile made its way to Martha's face. She was grateful that Yusei didn't remember what happened that night Rudger busted into the house. He killed Hana and raped Hakase before he too was killed. "Well, that's all in the past now. I'm just grateful that you turned out to be a good kid," Martha said, reaching out to touch Yusei's face. "Hakase would be very proud of you if he was still alive."

Yusei leaned into Martha's hand before he moved to lie next to her. Martha scooted a little to the left so that Yusei could lay next her. He shifted so that he was lying on his side, and he wrapped his left arm around Martha.

* * *

Akiza walked in 15 minutes later to see the two sleeping. She made her way to the right side of the bed. Akiza gently rubbed Yusei's arm to wake him up. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to see his ex-girlfriend standing there with a smile.

"What time is it?" Yusei murmured, slowly moving to get off the bed.

"It's around three in the afternoon," Akiza answered softly, moving out of the way so that she could follow him.

Yusei nodded his head before he glanced back at Martha's sleeping face. He scooted off the bed and pulled the covers to old woman's face. Akiza watched with sympathy. She wanted to take Yusei's pain away, but she was doing everything she could to help. The two walked out as Yusei closed the door softly behind them.

Akiza turned and pulled her ex-boyfriend close. Yusei didn't mind at all; he welcomed the embrace. After a moment, they pulled apart.

"I do appreciate your help," Yusei said softly.

A smile made its way to Akiza's lips. "It's the least I can do, considering what you have done for me. I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for your help."

It was Yusei's turn to smile. He remembered how he met Akiza. She had a lot of anger and emotional pain buried deep within her heart. Back then, Akiza didn't know how to express herself. Her parents sent her to the most well-known schools, hoping that will help with verbal-communication. It only made things worse. Akiza didn't understand why her parents sent her away, so she ran away. She lived on the streets for quite a long time until she met a man named Sayer. He was able to calm her down and helped her.

Over time, Akiza gradually started to trust Sayer, and she started to reveal how she ended up on the streets. Sayer revealed that he was a psychiatrist, and he was willing to help her out with any issues that she had. By now, Akiza was ready to tell her parents how she felt. When Akiza got to the house, the curtains to the window were drawn back and she could see that her parents were having a nice cup of tea. Hideo and Setsuko were laughing and talking**. **Akiza picked up a nearby rock and in her blind rage, threw it. The window shattered in a thousand pieces

Hideo and his wife turned to see their own daughter staring at them with hate and betrayal in her eyes. Akiza turned and started to run. Tears started to cloud her vision as she tried to block the image of her parents enjoying life without her. Akiza wasn't watching where she was going when she blindly ran across the street. An oncoming motorcycle came in her direction, and she moved out of the way. The driver managed to veer he is motorcycle out of the way. He parked his bike and pulled helmet off.

Akiza blinked a few times, taking in at the site of the new stranger. He had sapphire blue eyes, tan skin and a well slim body. He also had a hairstyle that was the shape of a crab. It was jet black with yellow highlights. The stranger got off and quickly made his way over to her.

"Are you alright?" The stranger was eyeing her to make sure that she wasn't hurt.

Akiza blinked. It was the first time anybody had taken time to even look at her let alone taking time to even responded that she was even there. "I'm fine." With that, she turned and continued to run.

"What's your name?" the stranger called out.

Akiza stopped. She straightened her posture and wiped the tears from the back of her fists. She glanced over her shoulder and gave the stranger a strange look. "It's Akiza."

"Yusei."

Akiza nodded her head turned her attention back to running. Yusei stood there with a confused look. He had never seen a woman look so troubled.

To Be Continued …


	80. Chapter 80

Heartaches

Chapter 80

By Kellyq

The racetrack was dry by the time it was to race. The arena was crowded, and Team 5Ds and Team Ragnarok were ready. MC glanced around, feeling high energy in the air. The roar of the crowd sounded like waves hitting along the shore.

"Good afternoon," his voice boomed. "Now it's time for the next part of the race!"

Brave smiled as he looked at Dragan to see that he was concentrating. "Well, this is it."

Dragan straightened up and glanced at his red-haired teammate. "I should thank you guys for putting up with me. You Brave, have been a really good friend and supporter," Dragan paused when his eyes shifted to his boyfriend. Harald had a confident expression and the look in his eyes Dragan that he wasn't going to lose. Dragan closed his eyes. "Especially you, Harald. You've been the greatest. I'm glad that you came into my life."

They gave each other knowing look...

_**Harald glanced around and spotted a teen a foot taller than himself. His back was turned to Harald, so that he couldn't see his face. Harald walked over to the beverage stand, picked up two glasses and made his way over to make idle conversation. Footsteps reached Dragan's ears as he turned to see Harald walking toward him, with two glasses in his hand.**_

_**"Congratulations," Harald started, handing a glass over. Dragan took it. "Your father must be proud of you."**_

_**The comment caught Dragan off guard before he took a sip. "Who are you?"**_

_**A slight smirk made its way to Harald's lips. He took a gentle hold of Dragan's hand and brought it to his lips. "My name is Harald," he introduced himself, "I've wanted to meet you for a while now, Dragan. May I request a quieter place to talk?"**_

_**Dragan nodded his head, not minding what just occurred. The atmosphere and the way Harald was dressed gave Dragan the impression that Harald was raised to be a 'ladies man', or in this case a ' man's man'. Harald let go of Dragan's hand and took his glass. He placed them on the nearby table.**_

_**"Come. Follow me," Harald gestured toward the back door. He grabbed their glasses, and they made their way. The evening air was calm, and there were no clouds in the sky. A couple of empty chairs and a table or were ready. Harald placed the glasses down and pushed Dragan's chair in after he sat down.**_

_**"What did you want to talk about?" Dragan finally asked, after Harald set across from him.**_

_**"I would like to make an offer. You don't have to agree with me now, but I like would like us to be friends."**_

_**Dragan took a sip from his glass. "I'm fine without having any companions."**_

_**"You're fine just the way you are, Dragan," Harald reassured, knowing there was a hidden message behind what Dragan meant. "Do have pride and strength ..."**_

_**"Pride? Yes. Strength. No," Dragan admitted, taking another sip from his class.**_

_**Harald nodded his head. "You would be surprised by how much strength you have, Dragan. I've watched your races, you do have strength, and I'm sure your father is proud of you. I would be too if I was much involved with someone I believe in."**_

_**Dragan stared at Harald for a moment before he looked away. "My father and I are close."**_

"_**There's nothing wrong being close to a family member. I was once like that before my parents were killed. Their butler - Sebastian took care of me after that," Harald pointed out.**_

_**Dragan looked at the light-haired teen to see that Harald wore an aspect of respect on his face. That makes sense with the way Harald approached me, Dragan thought. "Sure. We can be friends. You seem to know me but I don't know you," Dragan said, not minding Harald's presence.**_

"_**I traveled a lot when I was young. Sebastian told me that it was my fate to encounter great things to show people fate."**_

_**"Fate?" Dragan repeated slowly, confused.**_

_**Harald nodded his head and smiled, remembering the talk when he was ten. The one thing that got Harald's attention, as was Sebastian told him that he needed to find someone.**_

_**"Young Master!" Came Sebastian's voice, snapping Harald out of his memory.**_

_**Dragan and Harald turned their heads to see the Butler walk up. Dragan could tell that Sebastian was a kind person. The butler nodded his head to acknowledge that Dragan was there.**_

_**"We should get going, young master," Sebastian finally spoke up.**_

_**Harald nodded his head and turned his attention back to Dragan, as he rose to his feet. Dragan rose to his feet too, so he could face Harald. "It was nice to talk to you …"**_

_**Harald took Dragan's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed his knuckles. "It's Harald," he repeated casually, knowing that Dragan was still trying to understand what was being offered.**_

_**Dragan nodded his head. "Harald …" He repeated slowly. "Let's meet at the racetrack tomorrow?"**_

_**"Shall I arrange for the racetrack to be closed so that you two can race each other?"**_

_**Harald pulled back and smirked lightly. "That's a good idea, Sebastian," Harald said giving his butler a quick glance before he turned his attention back to Dragan. "How does noon sound?" Harald asked casually.**_

_**Dragan nodded his head, and smiled. "I'll be there."**_

_**Sebastian and Harald turned and made their way to their limo. "I'm proud of you," the butler complimented, "he seems promising."**_

The voice of MC snapped Dragan out of his memory asking if he and his competitor were ready.

To Be Continued


	81. Chapter 81

Heartaches

Chapter 81

KellyQ

Jack glanced to his side to see Dragan making his way to the starting line. It's now or never, he thought. "Dragan, listen I–"

"Save it, I don't want to hear it!"

Jack scoffed and averted his attention back to getting ready. The buzzer sounded and MC told the two competitors to start. The crowd watched anxiously as the two started their engines and they were off. In the sea of people, there was Team Unicorn, Team Taiyo, Primo, and Laster. They got a special passes to sit at a spot where they had a good view of the action. Carly, Nina, Trudge, Rally, Leo, Luna, and the rest of the kids had a good spot too.

From the pit stop, Brave and Harald watched their teammate closely. _Now is a good time to show the world what you are made of, and showed Jack that you are just as strong as he is, if not stronger,_ Harald thought. Yusei watched with determination. _All right Jack, show Dragan your inner strength that you have,_ he thought.

The racetrack had some obstacles, like ditches, a stack of pipes and a wooden ramp to drive up and go back down. Jack and Dragan were shoulder to shoulder first, before they started on be obstacles. The first one they did was weaving in and out of ditches.

Carly pulled out her new camera and started to take good snapshots of them. Jack professionally zigzagged his motorcycle, while Dragan smoothly did the same thing. Carly blinked a few times when she noticed that Dragan wasn't even trying. Jack growled out of frustration. He was starting to get fed up with the way Dragan was mocking, and teasing him. _I have strength to and I'm going to use it,_ Jack thought.

Dust and wind trailed behind both motorcycles as they glided over the pipes. Jack's front wheel touched down a few seconds after Dragan's. The blonde haired teen cursed bitterly under his breath as he watched Dragan go ahead of him.

Leo jumped up from his seat and started to encourage Jack to beat Dragan. It wasn't long before some random people started to encourage both of them to win. _Of course I'm going to win,_ Jack thought, _Martha and the others are counting on me!_ An image of the old woman, and all his friends gave him hope that he could win.

By this point, they were both driving up the ramp and they glided again. Jack managed to point the front of his motorcycle down. The front tire landed on the ground perfectly as the back tire to Dragan's motorcycle landed on the ground in the same manner.

Both competitors did the same obstacles twice. By the third rounded Jack didn't make it across the pipes. His motorcycle smacked one of them loose as his bike landed. One by one, the pipes started to roll. The ground started to rumble and shake as dust trailed behind them.

"Jack, look out!" Yusei warned.

Jack and Dragan diverted away from the pipes. The crowd started to become very nervous. No one wasn't quite sure what to do. Especially with the crowd of people in the first row. They got ready to move when the pipes rolled in their direction. Half of the stadium and vibrated and shook when they slammed on impact.

"Wow! Is everybody okay?" MC asked. By now, some security guards were checking the crowd to make sure that they were okay. After a moment, MC let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, but we still have two more seconds to go or both sides lose the first half!"

Gasps filled the arena. Crow slammed the side of his fist on the table out of frustration. He, Yusei, and Bruno stood there in their assigned pit stop. "I better get ready," Crow said, getting up.

The ground rumbled and vibrated, indicating that Jack and Dragan had whizzed by. Before either could pass the finish line, the buzzer just sounded ending of the race. The crowd fell silent, too shocked for words. The two drivers didn't make it over the finish line. It took a moment for MC to recover. He cleared his throat, getting most of the crowd's attention.

"We have no winner this round!" MC announced, shaking his head.

"I'll have to admit that you're good," Dragan complimented, finally looking at Jack, "A lot better then I anticipated."

"Well, of course! I'm here for the same reason you are. I'm here for someone who took care of me sends I was little named Martha. Just like you are fighting for your father!"

Dragan tuned his head and lowered it. "Yeah …"

"Well, you heard it here folks," MC chimed in. "The next part of the race will be in 20 minutes! See you then!"

To Be Continued …


	82. Chapter 82

Heartaches

Chapter 82

By Kellyq

The line to the concession stand was long. People milled about and talked about the race. Carly pushed her way through the crowd to find Jack, but she found Primo and Laster instead. The two seemed to have a hushed conversation with each other. Primo was brushing Laster's long silky red hair.

"It's a good idea that we watched the race," Laster said. "The more we watch Team 5Ds, the better chance we have of winning."

"Just remember who you're racing against," Primo reminded him, french braiding his hair.

The young boy chuckle, "don't worry, I haven't forgotten."

Carly pulled back, turned and started to make her way through the crowd again. She stopped when she saw an open spot. She stood there for a moment to catch her breath. _Those two were from Team New World, _Carly thought. _I need to find Jack and ask him who he's up against with Team New World_!

* * *

The blonde haired teen found a quiet spot under the bleachers, away from the noise. Jack wasn't in the mood to answer questions about the race. He was still coming to the terms of what happened. Jack stood there for a moment until footsteps reached his ears. He turned to see Dragan walking up with two cups in his hand.

"Dragan…" Jack whispered. The two stood in silence, drinking their own beverages.

"You know," Dragan spoke up, "we do have a lot in common. Striving to be the best and fighting for people we love."

Jack nodded, understanding. "That is true. And I'm sorry what happened to your father. What happened was that Godwin didn't tell me the day it happened." Dragan's eyes widened. "I know … it was a blow to me too when I found out what his motives were," Jack said, reading his facial expression.

Dragan nodded his head. He didn't think that Godwin would stoop that low.

* * *

Rally looked frantically around. Moments ago, he had lost sight of Leo and Luna in the crowd. He was now pushing his way through calling out for is to friends. _How could've I lost them_, Rally thought scanning for anything familiar.

"Are you lost?" Came the voice.

Rally jumped out of shock. He turned his head to see Brave standing there with concern in his eyes.

A nervous look made its way to Rally's face as he fidgeted. "Well … sort of. I'm looking for my two friends Luna and Leo. We were going to find Yusei, but we ended up being separated."

Brave nodded his head. "Don't worry, I'll help you find Yusei."

Rally let out a sigh of relief and took Brave's offered hand. They made their way through the crowd, looking for any sign of Yusei.

"So, what's your name?" Brave asked, making light conversation.

"My name is Rally," the boy answered. "You're Brave from Team Ragnarok, right?"

"Yep!" He said cheerfully. It was then they spotted Yusei talking to Team Unicorn. Brave let go of Rally's hand, and watched him run over. Brave watched with a smile; he had to admit that Rally was cute.

"Yusei!" Rally called out.

Jean, Breo, Andore, and Yusei turned their heads to see Rally running toward them. Yusei looked past Rally to see Brave making his way over. Team Unicorn straightened up when they saw him. Brave never understood why people acted so tense around him, but he ignored the feeling and gave them all a respectful nod.

Rally pulled away from Yusei after he hugged him, and turned to face Brave. "Thank you for helping me out."

Brave chuckled and knelt in front of Rally. "No problem. Just don't go wandering off. A place like this is not as safe as it appears."

"Rally!" Came Leo's voice. They turned their heads to see the twins making their way towards them. Brave rose to his feet. Rally fidgeted a little when he saw the scowl on Leo's face. "There you are! Luna and I thought you were kidnapped!"

"I'm sorry," Rally murmured, adjusting his shawl.

Brave continued to watch for a few more moments, before he decided to make his way back to the pit stop. When he got halfway there, a sound of a bunch of kids chattering made its way to his ears. Brave turned his head to see Crow surrounded by a bunch of kids. They were squawking, and encouraging him to win.

One of the kids held up a banner that had a poor drawing of Crow. "We believe in you, Crow!"

"We know that you can do it!"

Rave watched with envy. He too loved little kids. He wanted to also bring the kids he was looking after also, but he couldn't afford to bring them. With a sigh, Brave looked away and continued to make his way to the pit stop.

To Be Continued …


	83. Chapter 83

Heartaches

Chapter 83

By KellyQ

The mob made their way to the bleachers. Mina, Trudge, the twins, and Rally made their way to their sets. The rest of the kids talked amongst themselves. Team Unicorn, Team Taiyo, Primo, and Laster sat in their assigned spots.

Crow and Brave drove to the starting line. Brave scanned the crowd and spotted the kids cheering for Crow to win before he averted his attention back to the starting line. Grow smiled and gave the kids the thumbs-up.

"On your mark, get set, go!" MC's voice boomed.

The two competitors pulled on their clutches with their left hands and eased back on the throttles with their right hands, shifting gears with their left feet. They both eased off on the clutch as they used their left hands and twisted the throttles as they continued their accelerations. Dust and carbon dioxide trailed behind them. Together, they zigzagged around the ditches, and drove up the ramp. Crow and Brave glided in the air and landed down.

MC watched their races closely. It seemed like the way they were racing was a little choppy due to lack of training, but their riding style was the same. The obstacles were a little different. There were no stacks of pipes, but there was a ramp to drive up and glide across and land. The first part of the obstacles was riding over fine packed dirt. Both Brave and Crow did a good job of handling their motorcycles.

The crowd was cheering for Brave more than Crow. Brave glanced around the arena; He liked the fact that everyone was chanting and cheering for him. Brave decided to do a daring stunt on his motorcycle. He got the opportunity when he bike drove over. Brave popped the clutch so that the motorcycle was on its back wheel.

Brave controlled his motorcycle playfully. "This is how you drive!" He started to weave around, screaming like he was on a roller-coaster ride.

Crow frowned as he tried to stay clear. "You're driving like a reckless kid!"

Brave pouted. "Aww! You're no fun!" He whined.

Crow scoffed in response. He wasn't sure if Brave was playing or being serious about the race. By this point, the kids were glancing around the arena. The youngest with chestnut colored hair pulled back in a low ponytail looked at her friends. She wore a long pink dress.

"What are we going to do?" She asked timidly. "Crow can't even hear us!"

"We're just going to have to try harder and make sure that Crow can hear us!" The eldest said. He had spiky black hair and brown eyes that held a lot of maturity. He also wore a red sweater and black pants with matching red tennis shoes.

The rest of the kids nodded their heads in agreement. They all turned their attention back to the race. The two eldest held up a banner that was a poor drawing of Crow. All the kids started to cheer Crow on. It took a few moments for their voices to reach his ears, and when he looked in their direction, Crow was touched.

Brave watched with envy. "Those kids … are they yours?"

"I look after them – so in a way, they are!" Crow answered. "I'm in this so that they could have a good future!"

"I love little kids too! They're like angels …"

Crow couldn't help but smile. "Bagels? Talk later?"

"Sounds good to me! I want to met those kids!"

"They got only three more laps to go!" MC said, watching the two competitors talk.

Brave and Crow nodded their heads and continued doing the obstacles one more time. The clock was ticking when their motorcycles reached finished line. The buzzer went off when the wheels rolled over the white line. The crowd cheered and clapped.

"It looks like we have a tie!" MC announced. The kids waved the banner. Crow and Brave gave each other a fist-bump, each feeling good about what happened. "Next up are Harald and Yusei! Both competitors get ready!"

To Be Continued …


	84. Chapter 84

Heartaches

Chapter 84

By KellyQ

"This is it!" MC said watching Harald and Yusei ride to the starting line. "One loss and one tie! Let's hope that there is a winner!"

Harald glanced at Yusei. "God bless you, Yusei."

Yusei rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for the pep talk.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

And both competitors were off. Smoke, dust, and carbon dioxide trailed behind the motorcycles. Yusei watched in awe at how Harald was handling his bike. Every move that he made was smooth and elegant. _I didn't think about having a good look at how Harald rides his motorcycle before,_ he thought.

Harald's thoughts were similar as he watched Yusei. "You do have quality," he acknowledged, "and I'm sure that your father had some qualities before he died!"

Yusei sighed. That may have been true, but he was not like his father. Hakase was more open with his feelings, and he had a stronger will. Yusei shook his head to rid himself of negative thoughts of people comparing him to his father.

The race went on. The obstacles were different compared to the last race. They had to zigzag around cones, and leap over piles of gravel.

The crowd watched with anticipation, wondering who was going to finish the race. Both Yusei and Harald were close to the finish line—shoulder to shoulder. MC watched closely to see who was going to be the victor.

Suddenly, smoke started to emerge from Harald's motorcycle. He glanced behind, sighed, and he adverted his attention back to the race to see that you Yusei had crossed the finish line. The crowd was cheering and clapping as he rode to the pit stop.

"And our winner is **_our _**_Shooting Star—_Yusei Fudo!" MC announced with triumph.

Harald stirred his motorcycle into his pit stop and pulled his helmet off as Brave and Dragan walked up. Sebastian made his way over with a tray of tea in his hands, as the crowd was still cheering.

Harald got off his bike and made his way over to Yusei with his other teammates close behind. Crow and Jack also stood on each side of Yusei.

They gave each other a bow.

"You beat us fair," Harald admitted, taking Yusei's hand and brought it to his lips.

"I have an announcement to make!" MC spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "The next race will be held next week, because of _Team New World_ not being fully established. The rules state: that you need to have three or more on a team. If you have two, you can't participate. Good luck!"

A dark smirk made its way to Primo's lips. He glanced down at Yusei and Bruno. The crowd was confused as they glanced at each other, before they got up and made their way out of the stadium. Carly, Mina, Trudge, Rally, Leo, Luna, and the orphan children came bustling down to congratulate them.

"Yusei!"

He and the others turned to see Rally and the others running toward them. Yusei smile when Rally jumped into his arms, almost knocking him over.

Brave smiled as well when he saw the children crowed around them, squawking and cheering. Brave averted his gaze to Crow and watched him interact with kids and he had to admit that it was cute. Brave also had to admit that he was not alone about wanting a better future for the next generation.

"Yusei," Harald finally spoke up getting everyone's attention, "you and your team need to be careful. Team New World maybe doing this on purpose so that they can find an opponent worthy of taking you guys down."

Jack scoffed in response, "let them find the strongest opponent! I will take them down myself!"

"I think that if we all work together, we'll beat any opponent that comes our way," Luna said, adding her opinion, glancing around the group. By now Yusei had put Rally down.

Harald also glanced around the group and extended his hand to Yusei. "We can help you train for the next race," he offered.

"That's a good idea!" Leo chimed in.

A confident look made its way to Yusei's face as he shook Harald's hand, "sure. We'll take you up on your offer, in exchange; we'll share half of the money with you guys."

"What? We need more then they do!" Jack protested, "what about getting new clothes and such—!"

Crow's snicker didn't go unnoticed. "Define _new clothes—Jack_. Because I do believe that—from the last time I looked—you don't wear half of your wardrobe."

Jack winced before he frowned at Crow who looked calm when he was finding it hard to believe that Jack worked hard on his behalf for the children's future.

"What are you saying?" Jack protested again, "of course I was thinking about the kids!"

Crow raised a calm eyebrow as he tried to refrain from snickering again. "Right," he muttered sarcastically. 

"There's going to be enough for them and us, Jack—and you know it," Yusei spoke up, annoyed that his boyfriend and Crow would even want to start an argument over something like money. But than again—they would argue over silly stuff from how many cups of Ramen one could eat—to who was more heroic.

Jack grumbled under his breath, but he agreed nonetheless.

To Be Continued …


	85. Chapter 85

Heartaches

Chapter 85

By KellyQ

The remainder of the week was spent practicing. Yusei, Jack and Crow learned a lot from Harald, Brave and Dragon. Bruno didn't practice with them. He chose to help with the repairers and focus on them longer than necessary, even if it was a minor repair like a scratch or a dent. This action went unnoticed by the others. They regarded it as something that he did because he wasn't good with racing.

This went on for a few days until Yusei saw how Bruno would come home late into the night, tired and pale. He tried to express his concern but Bruno smiled and reassured Yusei that he was doing it for the team.

He thought that was reasonable until Bruno didn't even come home one night. Yusei got out of bed and went to retrieve his phone from where it was charging on the nightstand.

"Yusei ... get back to bed," Jack grumbled, missing the warmth he felt. "And whatever is bothering you, you can take care of it later."

Yusei was about to protest when the front door opened. He made his way there to see Bruno walk in. He had scruff marks on his face and his clothes were stained with dirt. Bruises were also visible on his arms. The only thing that was untouched was his hair.

Yusei reached out and caught him before he fell. "Bruno, what happened?"

Yusei's concerned voice alerted Jack. He walked to the front door to see that his boyfriend was trying to keep Bruno up right. Jack stepped up and helped Yusei pull Bruno to his feet and lead him to the couch, where he passed out.

* * *

Bruno opened his eyes an hour later to a tapping of fingers hitting a keyboard. It took a groggy moment to comprehend that he was at Jack's place. He turned his head to see Yusei sitting at the coffee table working away on his laptop.

"What happened?" Yusei asked, keeping his full attention to his laptop.

Bruno sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. He didn't feel that much pain as he looked at the bruises on his arms. "I don't remember how I got these ... but I do remember someone loitering around the racetrack."

Yusei frowned and turned his attention to Bruno. "What were you doing... I mean-you can be in the next race, if you want."

Bruno shook his head. "I've been seeing someone at the racetrack, and I've been trying to stop him," he explained, sitting up. "This person has been trying to sabotage the racetrack."

Yusei's frown deepened. "Why didn't you tell Trudge or me?"

Bruno sighed, "you guys have enough on your hands..."

It was Yusei's turn to sigh. He wanted to ask questions or tell Bruno he shouldn't worry too much. "I understand ... but-"

"Leave it, Yusei," Jack advised. He was leaning against the doorframe holding a cup of coffee in his hand. "I've already text Kaz. He told me that he'll look into having someone keep an eye on things at the racetrack."

Bruno's eyes darkened went unnoticed by Jack and Yusei. He watched Yusei close his laptop and follow Jack to his room, and he heard the door close.

* * *

Jack sighed, "I don't get him," he grumbled, setting the coffee on the nightstand.

They both heard the door to the bathroom open and close at that exact moment. Yusei shook his head, stepped up and kissed his boyfriend.

"Now where did I hear that before."

Jack made a face. "What are you implying?"

"He has his own reasons and he made them clear," Yusei answered.

He turned and made his way to the door. Yusei opened and walked out, closing it softly. The door to the bathroom was open to see Bruno walking out.

"I know that you don't want to tell me in front of Jack what happened, but something's up and I want to know."

Bruno sighed, "I tried to catch the person who tried to sabotage the race, but he got away after beating me up."

Yusei nodded his head, understanding. "Next time just be careful okay? The last thing I want to see is people hurting you, or you hurting people ..." he placed a hand on Bruno's shoulder, "okay?"

Bruno just nodded his head and waited for Yusei to turned to go to his room before he let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. This was going to be harder than he thought.

To Be Continued ...


End file.
